Destruction of Life
by DarkWingedSerpent
Summary: Follows Sesshomaru's and older Rin's arranged marriage in a modern setting. This situation poses many different difficult scenarios, including Rin's neglected love, Sesshomaru's apparent hatred and all the tensions of an enforced marriage. Won't be suitable for younger readers.
1. Chapter 1

' _The documents had just been found 13 years after the death of the power duo Urihara. They were discovered to be a late addition to their last will and testament, to the effect of an arranged marriage between their daughter and their business partner, Sesshomaru, the wealthy aristocratic yokai, arranged prior by both first generation family members.'_

Rin kept her gaze focused on the food in front of her – the finest imported ingredients, combined with native produce to create the most delicate array of appetisers and dishes, of which she was to have her fill.  
There was always too much, far, far too much of it, and Rin barely touched it – again.

Not to mention she sneakily preferred the cheap take away of her previous days, which she would go and buy during the day while she gave out containers of her vast left over dinner to the less fortunate in whichever city or town she found herself in.  
Sometimes she would even go to homeless shelters, or visit specific house-holds that she knew were impoverished and feed them the nourishing delicacies.

Jaken had had a blue fit when he found out the luxurious food was being wasted in this way, disrespecting his lord's services, but Rin swore him to secrecy threatening to tell Sesshomaru that Jaken had only recently broken the new imported Romanesque antique from Italy – a gift from a colleague of Sesshomaru's.  
The little toad had been over zealous in his cleaning and knocked it over rather fatefully. It was worth the fortune of the most respectable businessman.  
The mutual blackmail didn't stop Jaken from being a highly critical, sour spectator to Rin dishing the un-touched dinners in to many containers the next day for delivery.

At the expansive dinner table, Rin was thinking idly that she may go to the Suzuki house hold tomorrow, as there was a large amount of fine sashimi present in the dishes and she knew the child of that home was very fond of it.

Rin was separated from any dinner company by a colossal chunk of over-polished onyx mixed with stunning mineral threads of every hue, that stretched for a mile to the other end of the room, where sat her silent husband.

She barely looked at him, however. Instead she would poke at her food and prolong her meal time so she wouldn't be scolded for not eating, even though the entire situation was ridiculous as the yokai never ate either; - he would sit there with his work lap top or a book. It wasn't that she wasn't grateful; she was. She was so unbearably grateful that she was miserable.

 _It was bound by an ancient custom wherein demon law dictated obedience. No other marriage by the yokai would be lawfully approved if the one bound rejected the arrangement. This was because the elder generation had decided by vote on the decision, and the Urihara clan had been long-time valuable and trusted allies of the daiyokai clan. It was an agreement to honour the allegiance and not even one as powerful as Sesshomaru could gainsay the bond._

Every meal time where he was actually present was not too common, and so she was always mortified when he was there, making her feel like a burdensome intruder more than ever.  
There was something very intense and heavy about his aura, and he had become someone very distant from her since the marriage. It had been nothing more than a civil ceremony, held in an office far from worthy of the occasion.

Rin knew he was angry about the will – he had cursed openly initially, leaving the province when the binding will was made known, only to return for the ceremony itself. Afterwards he had left his bride promptly to 'pressing business matters'.

Their relationship had been far better before the forsaken alliance, at least in Rin's eyes if not anyone else's. He had been her guardian and raised her, coolly yet subconsciously caringly brought her up after the death of her parents.

Now she wondered if he would have dropped her like hot poison had he known about the hidden contract from the very start.

In her sober, rational moments Rin did think it was very unfair for others to decide his fate for him. Someone as grand and noble as Sesshomaru-sama should have the intact right to choose his own mate, with his own mind and heart. But it wasn't long before tears dropped from her eyes whenever she tried to push past her hurt and loneliness.  
It stung, a lot.  
To think he felt so chained down and trapped to her, a puny human, who he must have hoped to get rid of on her 18th birthday – not get _married_ to her!  
It was the height of indecencies that a wild and supernatural creature such as he should be so bound to earthly traditions and oaths. Though she knew and felt all the just things for Sesshomaru, none of which were favourable thoughts toward herself, Rin had always loved him very deeply.

He had never ever been close enough for her to consider him a relative.  
He was more like a figure in the background, somehow orchestrating events in her life. When she hit puberty the feelings of adoration and blind faith she had naturally turned in to a hero worshipping crush. At about sixteen her feelings became deeper, and by the time she was told the news of the oath and impending matrimony she was overjoyed and struck with disbelief.

Until reality hit her like an ancient meteorite crashing to earth to destroy all lovely things.

That reality was that Sesshomaru never loved her, could never love her and was enraged and offended by the entire situation.  
Therefore Rin could never show her true feelings, and she resigned to agree to the written list of duties she now had as the wife of the illustrious demon.

Rin's mind often ran through the things that may improve her chances of approval with her husband. One thing that bothered her was her appearance. She was a girl who had developed very early, so her figure was full but her height was not at all impressive.  
She had often dreamed about being tall and willowy like the models Sesshomaru posed with in magazines; or even like the other colleagues and associates she saw at the functions she had to attend as his 'wife'. They were all so polished, refined and attractive with their elegant cigarettes and knowledge of French as they ordered wine from international waiters.  
But Rin even felt intimidated by the waiters, for Kami's sake.

 _She wore an understatement of a dress for the wedding; it covered her soft round chest completely and her hips were obscured by unnecessary material in that area. It was like someone had chosen it specifically to make her as unappealing a bride as possible and she wanted to cry. No man would want to undress that, and make love to whatever lay underneath..  
Let alone the compellingly beautiful groom, whose everyday business wear showed how 'invested' he was in this farce of a wedding.  
Vows were said, no kiss given, and rings were exchanged.  
This just added the icing to the cake of woe, as he refused to even personally put the ring on her finger – rather he accidentally touched her hand and dropped the ring in her palm as though he had come in to contact with something distasteful.  
In her distressed mind, past the anger, she wondered desperately where on earth the other Sesshomaru had gone, the one that had protected and remotely but surely raised her better than any guardian should ever be put upon to do.  
This was what he really thought, then. Demon honour and pride must have been what kept him nurturing her as her guardian.  
Now everything had just crossed an unspoken and unspeakable boundary, and realising all this at once on what was meant to be a fairy tale day was far too much.  
She couldn't speak for the rest of the day, and the one photo of the occasion was graced with one marble-like face with glassy amber pools for eyes and a weary, disillusioned one at the elbow of the other.  
_

Rin was attractive, despite her less than low self-esteem.  
Others noticed it – and it wasn't just her acts of beauty that they took note of.  
She had heavy dark hair that was at her waist, and pale skin set off with dark eyes. Her nose was a little snub and her face a little freckled, but she was quirky and charming. In the villages she shined, but in the mansions, offices and function buildings she was a wallflower, having paled herself to insignificance against the notable beings she was expected to mingle with.

Whenever they arrived at these balls and dinners, Sesshomaru would soon leave her to find his next business prospect, or a beautiful woman.  
A few kind hearted people saw this abandonment and surrounded Rin, and very soon her natural optimism and warmth had won them over, and they often formed a pleasant gathering when they were together.

Kohaku was particularly fond of Rin. He was another businessman in an oil firm, and he dabbled in stocks. He knew something of value when he saw it – and it was even better when it was attractive and neglected.

He was by no means nasty, but he resented the multi-millionaire demon for so obviously disdaining his lovely young spouse. Therefore he saw no issues in entertaining her and dancing with her. He was never stopped or interrupted, and Rin always laughed at his many jokes.

Fortunately Sesshomaru didn't try and play dog in the manger.

Rin drank up Kohaku's attention like a bird starved of open air and accepted whenever he invited her out to places. She never once saw it as cheating, but rather she thought the world knew her adoration and love for Sesshomaru was not in question, and Kohaku was nothing more than a good friend.

She would, by ten million moons, rather that it was Sesshomaru taking her out so often, but he obviously disliked her presence at the best of times and Rin knew it was more proof of her love to leave him be than pester him like the child he thought she still was.  
Kohaku would sometimes even help her with her larger hauls of food to take it to the needy – so he could easily take her to lunch afterwards.  
How Sesshomaru wasn't head over heels in love with such an appealing bundle, Kohaku never knew. She wasn't tall and slim, true – but she was far more fascinating than looks, and her sex appeal was far greater than a walking coat hanger.

One time they had been out, Rin had dropped a food basket, and in the process her shirt had skewed to reveal a little more of her milky breast than was proper. Kohaku had gawked, blushed and genteelly hinted to her. Rin had just gone 'oh!' and giggled as she re-adjusted, but Kohaku found it hard to shift that image from his mind for a while.  
So it was no surprise when he danced with her one time – she was wearing a deep emerald dress that showcased a lovely cleavage and displayed a small womanly waist that Kohaku readily wrapped his arm around.  
Soon gossip mongers sent whispers around that eventually reached the ears of the white haired demon lord.

'They are saying, milord, that your lady-mate is _far_ too friendly with other men, Kohaku-sama in particular'  
The deliverer of this gossip was a beak nosed woman who wore an elaborate turban, and spoke insolently and archly as she shot a knowing glare at the laughing Rin and her jade-framed ivory chest, heaving with the exercise of doing every dance so far. She was currently locked in a waltz with a different man to Kohaku, who was nevertheless standing nearby.

However Sesshomaru's glittering golden eyes were trained periodically far more often on his little wife than anyone ever picked up on.  
He tore his enigmatic regard from Rin who was dancing across the enormous ballroom, and his gaze became decidedly cold as he looked at the gossiping lady at his elbow.

He didn't say a word, rather his sneer and the dangerous glint to his molten eyes spoke far more volumes than chatter, and it silenced the tale teller far more effectively.  
He turned and swiftly walked away, a slight snarl on his breath. The lady balked and blushed, embarrassed as others pretended not to notice her; it never did well to pay attention to a person Lord Sesshomaru mortified.

It didn't help that along with Rin's more-than-usually revealing dress and high spirits, that not only was she twirling in that man's arms again but her intoxicating smell of her menstruation was overpowering.  
Sesshomaru had to take some moments outside away from the sight and scent as much as possible. He could just go home, but then Kohaku would no doubt gallantly fill the breach and take up Sesshomaru's abandoned duty to escort his wife home with glee.

It wouldn't be the first time either. Too many times had he seen her come stumbling through the door, laughter fading from her face as she saw her husband holding the door open for her, his expression inscrutable as always; and Rin's brilliant smile would die almost instantly.  
His flute of champagne was suddenly crushed by his hand and the foaming liquid drenched his sleeve.  
He cursed under his breath and with a flick of his wrist the shattered glass was tossed over the balustrade. His keen hearing heard footsteps approach, dainty light ones, accompanied by a forbidden scent.

'S-Sesshomaru-sama!'

His eyes shut and his teeth gritted slightly as the smell of Rin enveloped him – her soft voice appealing. It burned his ears.  
He heard and felt her every small footstep toward himself.  
He couldn't speak for all the emotions coursing through him; - of course, to Rin, this was par for the course and was naturally construed as indifference or perhaps annoyance.  
She understood; he often took time alone and seemed to need a great deal of it whenever she was in his presence.

'Kohaku was goi - '  
She was about to breathily let out a jumbled request for leave to join the stock dabbler in a walk of the gardens when she found herself facing her husband's terrifying flaming glare.

Rin went white with momentary shock – but she soon questioned herself as the look of rage subsided as quickly as it had come and Sesshomaru turned his back yet again, his long moon lit hair swaying.

He lifted a nonchalant, elegant hand and waved it as though at an irritating insect.

'You do as you wish'

Every time, Rin asked Sesshomaru permission not because she felt like she needed it, but because she _hoping_ he would speak up – replace, reject or join in on the offer, show _some_ emotion. But every time Rin was disappointed; she must have been mistaken about his look of anger.

However she lingered a moment, wanting to savour this time that was almost alone with the yokai lord - and inwardly celebrated as she found a reason to stay near him longer, gasping as she noticed cuts on her husband's hand, left by the crushed wine glass.

She ran up to him, tripping a little in her haste as she reached his side, and without thinking took his much larger clawed hand in her own small slightly chubby ones, examining the marks.  
Sesshomaru took a minute to register her action, that she had been five metres away before, and now her dark head was at his elbow and her warm little hands were holding his cool one.  
His eyes had widened, and his senses reeled as her smell nearly overpowered him, his mouth filling with saliva, the feel of her soft skin and her plump little breasts pressed against his arm with a deep green jewel buried in her cleavage too much.

He withdrew his hand rather sharply and took a few steps back in a forced measured way.

'Go and play Rin' he commanded, barely keeping himself in check.

The only way he could do so was belittle her and treat her as the child he was so used to.

Rin's face was a pattern of concern and desire.  
'Please let me bandage it for you!' She was used to his little phrases and demands by now, and though it always stung, it didn't matter how she felt when he was hurt.  
No wonder he had come outside, Rin thought to herself, he was obviously in pain!

'Who did this to you?' Rin asked, wondering how on earth her darling had hurt himself at a place like this.

'No one. It doesn't hurt. Off with you!' His words were spasmodic and grunting.

Rin knew that voice, it meant he was indeed in pain. What she didn't realise was that it was by no means physical pain but the pain of self-control.

Rin wouldn't give up and she ran the few steps to get close to him again, his silver hair wrapping round her from the sudden breeze as she took his hand and clasped it endearingly to her breast, kissing it, licking the blood from each clawed finger in (what anyone else looking on would see as a deliciously intimate way) in an attempt to help the bleeding stop.

The beak nosed lady who had gossiped to Lord Sesshomaru before happened to spy with some of her friends the illustrious couple on the balustrade outside, and they felt a little deflated as their hopes of a scandal were dashed by that picture of passion outside.

It was well they looked away as the next moment would have had their theories back on to boil on high, as Sesshomaru all but flung his small wife away from himself, and he literally took off over the balustrade, in to the night, leaving Rin wondering if he had been a figment of her imagination.

Kohaku took a deflated and subdued Rin home soon after.


	2. Chapter 2

_After the wedding, there was nothing else to do – Rin was alone, in her own cavernous room, in a separate wing entirely to her husband. Sesshomaru had left Jaken with the task of showing Rin around the mansion, which seemed to go on forever, but the only place she was really interested in was the kitchen where there were staff and servants that Rin related to far more than anyone else in the pompous, gorgeous manor. Plus, there was food.  
Rin found comfort in cooking, eating and creating food to take to the people she used to live among and desperately missed, drawn even more to them and their openness and affection which was in stark contrast to her new relationship with the one who was meant to be the fulfilment of all her desires for love and companionship.  
Jaken maintained an outraged disbelief at all the social mores Rin continued to usurp and her gratuitous use of the expensive house hold resources to fund her own ridiculous one man mission to feed hungry Japan.  
He continued to lecture her in vain; Rin in turns found the frog irritating and condescending, but most of all completely hilarious – which made Jaken even more impassioned in his speeches when the minx just stood there giggling at him._

' _Lord Sesshomaru! My Lord! Forgive me, my Lord, but I really must report Rin's actions to you as they are becoming highly subversive to her position! I have told her everything you wish her to know in detail – from hosting dinner parties to making the right impression upon business visitors, to servant and Lady communication; but concerning the last point in particular she has completely disregarded everyone's role and be friended – yes, be friended! – All of the staff, and she spends hours in the kitchen with them cooking and wasting all manner of supplies! It's a disgrace to your honoured name!'_

 _Sesshomaru had hardly seemed to listen to Jaken's high pitched distress story, impatiently flipping through files and swiftly moving about his office juggling various invoices, reports, offers and statements.  
When Jaken seemed to have exhausted his complaint Sesshomaru vaguely glanced at the swamp creature, and realised all the papers he had gathered for filing were not any of the ones he actually wanted. He spoke to him in a scarily soft voice.  
'Jaken. I meant to ask last week. What happened to that priceless Romanesque vase from Italy?'  
The toad turned an interesting shade of lime as all his senses momentarily shut down. The problem of Rin was forgotten as he faced his own mortality yet again._

*Back to the present dinner table scene*

Rin jumped as she was suddenly addressed by her husband.

'Are you not eating?' He inquired.

Rin blushed, looking down, unable to meet his curiously pale yellow eyes. The demon's pupils were pin points, and they seemed very piercing in the light of the chandeliers.

'I'm not very hungry, my Lord. Though I have eaten some!'

He was silent a moment, as he observed her begin eating a little for the first time that night.

'If you aren't hungry then you may leave' he said evenly.

Rin momentarily met his gaze, slightly surprised.

'I will stay to clean up!'

Sesshomaru's alabaster forehead formed a fine line between the brows.

'That is what the servants are for' he replied in a cold tone.

'But they are busy enough already! Besides, I have nothing else to do – I like doing it anyway!'

Rin wanted to keep the conversation going as much as she could, if you could call it a conversation. Any form of communication with Lord Sesshomaru had always been precious to her, but now she clung to it like a rare treasure.

Sesshomaru seemed to be quite angry for a moment, but he internalised whatever he may have wanted to say and merely said in a cool voice 'do as you wish'

For the sake of Kami, Rin _detested_ that sentence with a passion.  
He ended so many conversations with her in this way she was completely assured that he didn't care at all what she did, he would still answer in the same way if she told him of her plan to jump off a cliff or of her desire to kill a man.

She wasn't about to copy him and remain a mask of emotionless indifference. She always let him know when she was upset, as she always had.  
Only now he seemed to care even less than he used to. At least he somehow managed to answer her in his own way in the past, even if she only realised it a while after the fact.  
Now – now it was utter disinterest and inaction.

Rin somewhat loudly put her large silk embroidered napkin on the table and shot a fiery glare at her husband, as she began to stand a little shakily. For some reason, this time she was _mad_.

'That same damn old brush off! ' _Do as you wish_ ' he says again! I _know_ what you think of humans, but the servants still need help and I have two arms and legs! If I ever take it in to my head to prostitute myself I won't _bother_ mentioning it to you as I know exactly what you'll say! – I don't know _why_ you keep disapproving of me, like hell you care anyway!'

Rin's somewhat jumbled outburst was too angry for immediate tears and screw if she was going to cry in front of him and invalidate (in his eyes she thought) any seriousness in her hurt words. She exited the room at a half run half trip, her tied up hair loosening and falling in frenzied strands around her neck.

The door slammed shut, cutting off the immediate potency of her scent, which was the epitome of desire, pain and rage.

Rin never returned to the dining room that night, so when the maids came in to clean the next morning they gave each other shocked looks at the utterly trashed state of the room.  
They were trained and chosen well enough to not talk too much about it, but they knew Rin or Jaken could not have made such a colossal mess. They were beyond relieved when Rin appeared in the kitchen at about 10am.  
She looked very tired; more than that – exhausted, dressed in very casual clothes – almost a track suit - but they knew Rin would not say anything to give them a clue as to what had happened at dinner. She only ever spoke in shining terms of her husband, after all.

Rin brushed off words of concern and query and went to the fridges to retrieve left overs. The maids had salvaged what they could, but there wasn't much there, so they had made a little extra to fill it out – they weren't too sure if Rin knew of the dining room incident.  
Fortunately the Lady was a little distracted anyhow and didn't seem to wonder at the lack of the usual amount of food as she began separating and packing them for first the Suzuki house hold then the Uzemaki's.

'Hm. Where's the rest of the caviar?' Rin inquired, looking puzzled 'I swear there was more!'  
Damn, she had noticed after all. The staff exchanged glances.

One of the maids, Penelope from France, answered in slight panic 'Oh, we had to throw it out!'

Rin looked at her in surprise, but another maid spoke up quickly 'Caviar is very delicate and has a certain use by date! We could only save some of it Rin dear'

'Ah, ok' Rin smiled 'I will just buy extra along the way I guess'

The maids held a small conversation once Rin had left with her gifts.  
'Something happened last night for sure – but she seemed to have not known about the trashing of the room'

'Maybe she angered the Lord?'

'Maybe'

Then they were silent on the topic, though their curiosity burned.

Rin had no idea whatsoever that her actions were being observed by an outside party when she knocked on the door of Suzuki. The small wooden door opened and Rin, being short already, didn't have to duck a bit to fit inside the tiny entrance way even with the huge hamper on her arm. She must be pretty strong to have carried that thing so far, even though she had taken the car some distance.  
It was an hour or so before the petite figure emerged again, with two children hanging from her arms and a round middle aged man bowing multiple times to her, to which Rin seemed to repeat a plea that he wouldn't keep thanking her so much, rather his thanks should be to Lord Sesshomaru for providing for them. The old man said something about the marvel of a pretty little woman being able to melt the ice heart of the demon prince to such an extent, though Rin was out of ear shot.  
The children ran in to the small garden to give her the customary handful of weed flowers, which Rin took with a huge blinding smile. The observer looked away for a moment, then disappeared like a ghost.  
The children instinctively looked toward the well-known forest as they thought they heard a sudden movement or wind, but nothing was there.  
'Did you hear that Mi?' Said the little Suzuki boy to his sister.  
'I heard something' she answered, not really concerned.  
'Maybe it was a _seishin'_ he whispered, shuddering.  
Rin hadn't noticed a thing as she continued on her way to deliver the other half of the hamper.

On the way home, as she went through the forested area on the way to the car, Rin came across a very skeletal dog that took a stance and snarled and snapped at her. She went stock still, half scared, and half curious.  
It blocked her path and she couldn't move forward or go around it either as the shrubbery was very dense along the path.

'It's okay, I won't hurt you' Rin said as she slowly went to retrieve some bits of food from the hamper. The dog heightened its bristling growling as she made the movement, and she deftly threw the food in front of the emaciated thing.  
The dog kept its blood shot eyes on her as it bent its grizzly head to devour the food in a flash.

Rin threw it the last of what she had, and then put the hamper down, baring her hands.

'I don't have any more, doggy!'

The beast was not too large, probably the size of a young deer – which was still big against Rin's height. But its lack of flesh made it seem even smaller.  
The growling had subsided somewhat, or rather progressed from sounding aggressive to being a little more defensive and whimpering as though it were in pain.

'You ate that rich food too fast' Rin stated, observing its discomfort. She felt an affinity with the animal. It was outcast and hurt, unattractive and alone.

As she spoke to it more, it became a little more subdued to the point where she could move forward, but she felt its hackles rise again.

'For goodness sake, I need to get home! Come with me and I'll give you food and some water' she went to her knees and held out her hand, hoping it would calm down.

The dog approached, alternately sniffing and growling at her, but the growling became less and the interest grew.  
It lowly wagged its tail a couple of times. Rin noticed it was also covered in various scars, cuts and bruises, and her heart broke. She closed the distance and put a hand on its head, soothingly.

'Come on' she said softly 'come home'

Rin slowly got up and kept her hand held out to it as she moved round the dog and started walking, making sure it followed her. The dog's walk was wonky and one of its legs seemed a bit crooked, but it kept up.  
Rin had to lift the poor thing in to the car as it was too weak to help itself, and some scabs fell off as she did so. It didn't have the nicest smell either.

She knew how to hide the animal physically from Sesshomaru, but wondered how she was going to hide the scent from his yokai nose; apart from that she was more immediately worried about how Jaken would react with his obnoxious screeching.

Rin took some dark pleasure in the thought of offending the toad some more, but she didn't want her husband knowing, for he'd more than likely be even more displeased with her. If the dog was appealing and silent he might ( _might_ ) not mention anything, grudgingly, to Rin keeping it around – but this travesty of a beast would be a definite offense.  
Ah well. The poor thing deserved more care than a cute and good natured animal – and Rin needed more things to do. She might even make a habit of finding strays to rehabilitate, Kami knew there was more than enough unused space both in the mansion and in the extensive grounds.  
The dog was scuffling around in the back seat of the car and Rin suddenly smelt an acrid odour. She better not have. Rin looked in the rear view mirror. She had.  
The dog had just peed on the seat.

She had filled her bath tub with not overly warm soapy water and some non-scented healing lotion, covering the animal in Vaseline and light towelling to protect its flaking skin before easing it in to the bath.  
The dog was shaking and whimpering, its pointed snout quivering with the initial pain of the contact with the water.

'It's ok' Rin cooed 'It will be ok'

Luckily Jaken had not met her at the door as she had come in the back way, and snuck to her room swiftly with the dog bundled in her arms, the hamper in the crook of her elbow. The car would have to wait to be cleaned.

She let the towelling drop off gradually, and didn't touch the animal much as it sat in the tub, letting the lotion do its work. Rin had bought it on the way home as she passed a town on the way back; she hoped it was the right thing as the cream had numbing and antiseptic properties to it, so it dulled and cleansed at the same time.

The dog slowly eased itself and its muscles went from taut to relaxed, and Rin smiled at the dog as she looked in its haunted dark eyes. It was almost like looking in a mirror.

'I need to give you a name' she wondered aloud, looking thoughtful. 'What about – Takara?'  
The dog just whined softly at her and sunk a little further in to the tub. Rin took it as a form of assent, and so the pitiful thing became her friend.

While she was drying Takara with very soft dabbing motions, she heard Jaken's grating voice calling for her. Takara's teeth showed in a snarl and Rin had to soothe the animal.  
'Ssshhh, its Master Jaken! Stay here! – Quick, lie on this towel so you don't get cold on the tiles!' She half lifted the dog on to the huge anagrammed fluffy towel and got up quickly, running through her room which was joined with the bathroom and to the outer hall. The toad was approaching her from the Western side.

'What is it Jaken?' She asked, trying to cover her shirt which was, she just realised, quite wet.

'What is that smell?' Jaken inquired in a disgusted tone as he reached Rin.

'What are you talking about?' Rin asked confidently.

Jaken looked at her through slitted eyes and tried to get past her but she stopped him with her hand on his staff.

'What is it you wanted to say?' Rin asked, trying to get the conversation over so he wouldn't discover the dog. The longer she could hide her the better.  
It was to no avail however, as Takara came wobbling, drenched and skeleton like, out of the bedroom doorway.  
What happened next was a blurry flash; Jaken shrieked like a possessed banshee, Takara sprung up like a cat and started barking and Rin fell over as Jaken's fright made him jerk the staff Rin had been holding to stop him being nosy - not before Takara came jolting to the rescue and clamped her diseased maw around Jaken's obsessively cleaned hands, increasing his hellish screeching as the dog attacked him.  
Rin scrambled up, trying to disengage her new pet from the molested Jaken.

'IT'S A GIANT RAT GAHH! GET IT OFF GET IT OFF! _RIN_!'

The dog was snarling viciously and its slightly regained strength made it even more tenacious, despite Jaken's violent movements.

Rin was finding it nearly impossible to placate the situation and she withdrew, breathless for a moment and two seconds later she was doubled over laughing helplessly, which only threw the two opponents in to further frenzy, Jaken now throwing insults at Rin for her unbelievable heartlessness.

'WAIT TILL LORD SESSHOMARU HEARS ABOUT THIS! ARGH IT'S BITING MY ARM I'M GOING TO GET ILL! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE RIN?! RIN! STOP LAUGHING YOU USELESS HUMAN, GET THIS RAT OFF ME!' All this amid the echoing barking, snarling and salivating of Takara.

'Stop - ! Oh, please!' Rin tried her hardest to protest but her sides hurt too much and tears were streaming down her face at the sight of the tubby pompous little imp thrashing about madly in vain as the cadaver of a dog flung about, attached like a third limb to his weak webbed hand.

'What is all this hellish noise?' A smooth cool voice cut through the chaos.

Rin and Jaken immediately jerked up, as Lord Sesshomaru stood right in front of them, tall as an ancient forest tree. Jaken seemed to amazingly recover, though Takara kept growling with her teeth imbedded in his green flesh, as the little imp's mouth quivered in pain and forced itself in to a smile.  
Although Rin was breathless from laughing, she bit her lip and tried to look her husband in the eye, mostly to no avail, as her mirth threatened to take over constantly, her eyes returning to Takara, who had kept attached to Jaken's arm as he whipped his hands respectfully behind his back as he bowed profusely. She noticed his hand was shaking quite heavily as he kept subtly trying to free himself.

Sesshomaru merely glanced at Jaken, but his gaze rested on Rin.

'Milord, I was delivering the message to Rin when she set this – this diseased rat on me! Please forgive me for the noise, it was unavoidable! Rin just stood there laughing at me!'

Rin inhaled sharply, still trying not to laugh;  
'I did not set her on you, Jaken, you shrieked and scared her! She's not a rat, her name is Takara!' She looked at her dog friend and said her name softly, telling her it was ok. Takara regretfully gave up Jaken's limb and slinked to Rin.

Rin had forgotten her very wet shirt clung in a rather revealing way to her chest, and as she bent to pick up the dog her cleavage showed. Takara nestled against her soft breasts as Rin cooed to her and Sesshomaru observed the situation with a certain steely gleam to his honey coloured eyes.

'Rin. What on earth is that?' His voice was deep and clear.

'I found her in the forest, my Lord. I just gave her a bath. She is a dog, not a rat, for both of your information.'

Jaken was nursing his injured arm.  
'Dog my eye' he said with deep suspicion 'more like hell hound! Look, milord! My arm is destroyed, I will probably never use it again thanks to your unruly human!'

Jaken was silenced by the great white Mokomoko that had become progressively so large that it was a very good 'mute' button to Jaken's jabbering, just by smothering him with it.

Sesshomaru's gaze stayed on his wife and Rin made to turn as she said:  
'She really needs some water, and food!'

'Rin' Sesshomaru paused her escape 'What are you thinking? That thing is an abomination. I am going to kill it, it's already half dead.'

Rin flung round, her eyes alight with shocked rage 'What?' She said faintly 'No! I won't let you! Can't you see her? She's trembling and she only attacked Jaken because she thought he was attacking me! Please - !' Her eyes involuntarily filled with tears as Sesshomaru's expression seemed unmovable.

Though he only wore slim jeans and a black open neck rolled sleeve shirt, instead of his much more customary business attire, Sesshomaru's aura was more intimidating than usual. Rin began recoiling and easing backwards, protectively holding Takara against her.  
Jaken was still squirming with muffled pleas underneath the luscious fur of Sesshomaru's tail.

'Rin' the demon's voice was a command. She couldn't obey him and tried to run though she knew that was useless. Sure enough, he was in front of her in a flash, much to close so that she ran in to his chest. She stumbled back.

'Why should you kill her?! She's done nothing to you, I promise she won't hurt anyone again! Please, Lord Sessho – '

He had interrupted her by flinging out his venom whips which flashed out like snake tongues, whipping Takara from Rin's hold, making the dog roll helplessly toward his feet, whimpering in pain and desperation.

'If you want a pet you will have a far less unsightly one' he spoke as he made to kill the animal then and there. However, as Rin stood there in stone frozen shock, ill to her core, Takara moved and clung to Sesshomaru's foot with utter adoration, almost begging him with her whines. Sesshomaru's whip hovered a moment before he raised his hand a little more to bring it down; but by the time it had come down Rin was there instead of the dog, and she took the lash across her back as she covered the dog.

Rin cried out in pain and Sesshomaru leapt back up in to the air, his eyes widened and his hair billowed out around him, withdrawing his weapon immediately.  
The little woman cowered in pain as Takara ran circles around her.

By this time Jaken had emancipated himself and he came running over, crying out

'Milord! What happened?'

'Get away Jaken!' Sesshomaru hissed as he descended back to the ground. He flung the dog to the side and tore off Rin's shirt with his claws in one swift motion to expose the wound that had been meant to kill the dog. Jaken looked away, embarrassed, as Rin's round breasts quivered in the open air.

Sesshomaru propped the now fainting Rin up with one arm under her breasts and the other holding her thick hair out of the way.  
He bent and began licking the wound as his saliva covered her pale skin, dripping down her stomach and over her breasts. Jaken began attending to the dog, despite his aversion to it and decided it was best to take it away with him temporarily; he didn't want to incur his lord's wrath by hovering around.

The wound began to miraculously close up as the demon lord's saliva held incredible healing powers. Soon he stopped licking, and carefully turned Rin around in his arms as he knelt beside her.  
His eyes, distant as ever, flitted over her full breasts to her neck and rested on her face. This was the closest they had ever been, and the most Sesshomaru had ever seen of Rin's body.  
But his eyes kept unblinkingly locked to Rin's face, staring sometimes at her pink lips, sometimes at her closed, darkly lashed eyelids. He picked her up easily and walked with her to her room, wrapping her in his Mokomoko and laying her on the bed. He waited, still as stone, watching her intently.  
Rin eventually stirred as the poison was cleansed from her system by the saliva of the yokai that had entered her bloodstream.  
She started breathing and her eyelids fluttered open. Not realising that a silent figure stood by her bed yet, she flung up and ran right in to him in her haste to make sure Takara was alright.

Sesshomaru held her shoulders, his great white fur pooling at her feet. Rin screamed slightly at the surprise and her eyes flew up to meet the liquid gold eyes of her demon husband.

'Rin, how are you?'

As he asked the question, she stumbled slightly and the yokai lord had to grab her, his claws sinking in to her soft flesh. She cried out a little and her breasts bounced against him. She realised her top half was naked and pushed at Sesshomaru, pressing against her bed, covering her breasts very inadequately with her small dainty hands. They only managed to cover her nipples at best.

'Rin – '  
Sesshomaru's eyes had taken on a look Rin had only seen once before – in a palace, in another world – but more; - they were burning and slicing right to her soul…

Rin's heart rate would have sky rocketed, and her face would have heated up if that look had been directed to her in a different circumstance. The daiyokai prince swiftly moved toward her, his hand cupping her face.

But Rin slapped him away, hot tears coursing down her cheeks, anger churning within her. _How dare he try and kill that poor helpless creature!_

She couldn't even register Sesshomaru's first ever attempt at physical touch and closeness because she was that infuriated. She darted to the far end of the bed, covering herself fully with the silky bed clothes.

' _Go_ _away'_ she flung at him with bitter hatred, unable to even look at him. She shivered with cold and ill contained anger and hurt.

She didn't care to look at her husband's face, which had many deep emotions coursing across it, and she turned her back to him. The demon raised a helpless hand, then retracted his outstretched claws as the aura of her disgust was overwhelming. He disappeared without a sound.

Rin half turned her face to make sure he was gone. Thank Kami. She shot out of bed with shuddering sobs and went to throw on another bra and shirt – she would have been intensely mortified and embarrassed knowing that the demon prince had seen her chest if she wasn't so enraged at Sesshomaru for actually trying to kill her new friend. A defenceless, starved animal! That's what she herself had been, if it hadn't been for him – and she felt a strong personal rejection at his violent actions toward the dog she felt so akin to. Also, deeper, the knowledge that he could have just as easily killed her without a thought all that time ago..

She went to leave her room but a huge wave of dizziness washed over her, and she had to sit for a moment.

' _That_ _demon_!' She thought bitterly. She knew he wouldn't be happy about the pet, but she didn't think he'd try and destroy the creature! What an extreme overreaction! She forced herself up and went in search of Takara.

Sesshomaru had to leave that evening to attend a conference with other CEO's and representatives of overseas clients, concerning a merger.  
He was at his desk in his office, carving lines in to the dense polished wood with his clawed forefinger, staring at nothing. His other hand was in a tight fist, the claws piercing his skin.  
Suddenly he moved and ordered Jaken come to him, immediately, with or without the dog.

The imp appeared almost instantly, as though he had been right outside the door.

'Yes milord?'

'That dog is demon slime, an off cast of a miasma. It is no creature of my tribe. While I am away for the two weeks, make sure Rin is safe. The creature could attract others like it and infest this place – this is why it needed to be killed. Take Rin to find a real pet for herself and find a way to kill that lowlife without her knowing it is intentional; - an accident of some sort. Don't tell her anything. That is all.'

Sesshomaru collected a few things and left the office, with Jaken running after him in a panic.

'It's a _demon_? Lord Sesshomaru, please just kill it now! I can't deal with it, all it does is snarl and bite at me! I can't have that hanging over my head without you here, I planned to go with you too! My Lord Sesshomaru, please forgive me for saying this, but Rin just keeps doing things wrong, she isn't fit for this position at all – ARGHH!'

Jaken had been struck down by a heavy statue that had apparently been hurled at him by a scarily composed demon lord.

Sesshomaru left that late afternoon wondering darkly who it was who had set that repulsive miasma hound on to Rin – the only being in existence close enough to Sesshomaru with a heart soft enough to accept evil and try and reform it, to ultimately get to the demon lord himself….

Rin was more than happy that Sesshomaru, her husband, had left for a fortnight. She hoped it would be even longer. The disgust she felt toward him for trying to kill the helpless Takara coupled with the repulsed embarrassment of him seeing her semi nakedness made her want to never see him again. She was also perplexed at how he had actually involved himself this time – he didn't wave it off with a 'do as you wish' this time. She became angry again – why did he brush off the things she wanted his opinion on, and become over involved in things she wished he never knew about?! She was confused and agitated, still glad that he was gone.

So as revenge, and in continuation of her plan, she decided to carry out her homeless dog shelter idea while the daiyokai prince was away. She would jump in front of his attacks to kill all of them if that is what it took. She wondered how she had survived his whip lash…and blushed anew when she realised he must have knelt there licking her back in long strokes with his wet tongue in order to purge her of the poison and heal the whip lash wound.

She dared not think further and ignored the hot feeling deep inside her, telling herself it was because she was so angry with him.

Takara became gradually healthier with Rin's ministrations, and soon she went out to the forest again with the dog in order to perhaps find some more strays.

What had been strange was Jaken's interest in the dog and his constant warnings to Rin.

'Rin, why are you so determined to disobey Lord Sesshomaru? He instructed me to ensure you were gifted with a proper pet instead of this creature. It would be in your best interest to listen for once and do as his highness wishes!'

Rin scoffed 'His highness can go and take a break! What's with all this crazy over protection? He's never cared at all till now, so why should I listen?'

Jaken was beyond exasperated, and he even began to wonder if the miasma had begun to take some hold on her mind… he had to think of an 'accident' sooner rather than later.

In the forest, Rin collected another three similar sort of dogs on her first venture, and she was beyond thrilled. They were a lot less threatening than Takara had been, because she was covered in their scent, and the animals seemed to know each other. They all stank to high heaven, and Rin marched them right back home. She and the maids cleaned them up and fed them, and Rin began investing in some toys and dog bowls, and medication to heal their open, bleeding skin and repair their fur.

She thought it sort of strange that Takara hadn't seemed to become too much healthier with her ministrations, but she just told herself that they had been alone and abused for a long time and rehabilitation would be a long process.

Jaken went a sickly shade of yellow when he saw there was not just one, but four miasma creatures to be rid of now. They were all antsy around him, bristling and growling, as though they _knew_ he knew the truth. How he wished his Lord was here to stop this madness, these excuses for dog creatures would cower in fear at Lord Sesshomaru, Lord of the Dog Demons.  
He didn't think a pre-infestation phase would begin so quickly – he had foolishly underestimated Rin's determination to be a one man crusade in restoring (what she thought were) Japan's starved and homeless dogs to normality.  
He had to intervene!

'Rin!'

She rolled her eyes, ignoring Jaken as she was about to go out again – this time to take food to the Jizen shelter in the nearby city.

'I'm busy Jaken! Can you look after the dogs for a few hours while I'm gone? Thanks!' Rin picked up three large hampers, precariously balancing them, and left.

Jaken felt a sweat come over him as he heard some growls nearby.

'Niiice doggies!' He soothed, inwardly cursing Lord Sesshomaru for thinking he had the power to kill these disgusting things. His staff may be able to kill three or four – but the number had grown to eight overnight, or so it seemed. He inwardly prayed for his Lord's return, envisioning his striking figure and glowing eyes as though trying to fathom him out of thin air. 


	3. Chapter 3

One week and a half had passed in to Sesshomaru's corporate engagement, and they were all seated around a large oval table that was the centrepiece to a room the size of stadium in the 45th floor of a high rise which overlooked the futuristic city of Osaka.  
Suddenly, just as proceedings had begun to get underway, a modestly suited clerk entered the room and discreetly whispered in his employer's ear, the owner of this particular firm and an interested party to the merger.  
The man cleared his throat and after glancing enigmatically at the demon lord, he announced that there seemed to be a move of one of their opponents to infiltrate and destroy the stronghold of Sesshomaru.  
He took a breath to continue in to a description of the unfolding events and the suspected accomplice (Rin) to this evil happening.

'Before you go further Suzuki'  
Sesshomaru swiftly interjected with his honey smooth voice, perceiving the next sentence of the man's announcement.  
'I suggest you retain the nature of this 'infiltration' to yourself. It is no one's fault but mine that this has become out of hand.  
If you will continue proceedings without me for the remainder of the fortnight I will leave even this moment to regain control of the situation. I had not guessed at the ferocity of this onslaught, to my discredit.  
For now I agree to all that we have discussed and my man will act on my behalf. I will forward the official outline, documents and funds to you as soon as I am able.'

He rose and gathered his things deftly, the most astute observer would note the underlying imperative tone to his aura; the demon shot a piercing glance at Suzuki, the Presenter of Proceedings.  
'I repeat do not disclose any more than you have, you know what will happen if you do. Good day gentlemen, ladies – ' he left on that rushed note.

Suzuki was a wise man and he knew the demon had ears that could hear whispered words from across the country if he wished to hear them. He diverted all further inquiries in to the situation and with unbending will returned the meeting to matters at hand.  
Suzuki for one did not wish to incriminate Rin, only for the reason that the girl seemed to have had a strange long term effect on his business associate, a sort of positive subtle glow of something he couldn't pin point – the sort of effect that just made it a little less stifling to shake the supernatural creature by the hand in greeting.  
There were indeed enemies of the merger – but also enemies of Sesshomaru, and those who hated his marriage to a human.  
Suzuki was a studied man, and he knew the possibilities of each, and he guessed that some nefarious character was trying to unleash the dog demons unchecked and destructive rage by harming that which was closest to him… and if this was to be successful, it would be the downfall of all three points of widespread contention and cause of hatred against the demon prince.

Naraku was a cunning bastard.

For if this merger went ahead successfully, it would mean the bankruptcy of Naraku's swift rise to power. Seeing as it was Sesshomaru who had orchestrated the large scale proposition, Suzuki knew it had more than enough power behind it to be a formidable move for the well-being of Japan and the sending out of Naraku.

Rin had only realised what was happening was not normal when it was too late. On the 6th day of Sesshomaru's absence, the number of animals had grown to 52 and they all became viler and more vicious the more there were.  
Takara had become overpowered by the other dogs and though Rin tried to call them by name and feed them, they only snarled and bit and scratched.  
When she saw that the injuries they had inflicted mainly on her and Penelope and Sarah, another of the house maids, became septic and festering, she knew these dogs were not normal.

A sudden deep pang of panic and regret burst in her heart and she longed for her husband, who though overbearingly cold, was nonetheless invaluably trustworthy and a pillar of strength.

Rin reprimanded herself - that she should have trusted him in his judgement, but yet again her quick emotions had taken hold of her and now she had placed herself and no doubt dragged him unknowingly in to this dreadful situation.

She had gone to Jaken in a sombre, downcast mood, her hands all bandaged up though the blood oozed through it, tears being forced back standing in her eyes.

'Jaken what am I going to do? These dogs are – are like demons! How am I meant to face – _him_?'

Jaken for once held back on the gleeful revelling in his being right and her being wrong.

He was very anxious and very worried, but still peppered his reply with 'I told you so's'.

'Well you've outdone yourself this time, Rin. I doubt Sesshomaru will want to look at you for a while when he comes home and has to deal with this. If only you would listen to him and stop rebelling against my lord things like this would not happen. All we can do now is rely on my staffs upheld power to keep them at bay, but even that will only hold for another day or two – if that.'

His slitted eyes watched as a few tears ran silently down Rin's face.  
'Stay in your room and remain lying down, you look very sick, no doubt from the poison in their bite'  
he grunted and swung away from the small defeated woman, turning back secretly to ensure she was on her belated way to her room.  
His face softened and he tutted to himself.

On the inside he was quaking, but at least he wasn't going to be the one in the firing line.  
He knew Sesshomaru could have things to rights within hours if he was here, but if he didn't return as soon as he could Jaken didn't know what he could do.  
The message should reach him in 5 days, and Sesshomaru could travel at three times the speed of that to get here. He hadn't said a word to Rin of his message, but he knew others knew of the extreme situation at the manor, and his message may not be the first to get to his lord's sharp ears.

3 days had passed since then; Rin had become worse with a delirious fever, and the heavy miasma threatened to choke out all living organisms within a 20 mile radius of the manor. Indeed the grass was black, and Jaken used all his wits to keep the interior of the manor even slightly breathable.  
He was chanting another command upon his staff which was held aloft in the air with a spell, 20 metres from the salivating gang of demon off-cast, when Rin came stumbling out, but not of her own will.

'RIN! GET BACK INSIDE WHAT ARE YOU DOING? RIN!'

Jaken couldn't leave the spell to force Rin physically away, or the barrier would break and all hell would be let loose.

Jaken soon realised what was happening when he saw that a sickly green and purple fog surrounded the little woman and was spiriting her away to the mass of dog mockery. No no no!

He thought he saw an iridescent speck flying fast high in the sky on the horizon but he had to focus. Jaken screamed out the rest of the spell in rushing desperation and two of the maids came out, but he roared at them to stay back.

Rin's helpless form was almost drawn in to the heaving mass when a blinding light shot from the sky downwards at an impossible angle, and there was a massive split made in the earth between Rin's powerless body and the repulsive murky mass of ferocious hounds.

'SESSHOMARU! MILORD!' Jaken's cry was drowned out in the deafening sound barrier boom of the great Demon's descent.

A white hot silhouetted figure could be made out in the midst of the flaming meteor like fire, two great red pin points for eyes and a mass of silver white hair splayed out in a terrifying display of rage and power like a million swords, a howl sounded like a bellow from an otherworldly wolf-dog.  
Neon green lashes flicked back and forth and everywhere too fast for the eyes to see, the swirling spinning dervish demon lost to human sight.

The winds were like a gale issuing from a preternatural portal and in a few seconds of a hurricane of lights and whips and poisonous miasma, everything fell silent and the fiery form diffused some of its glow.

Soon the light had all but died away and what could be seen was a half man, half dog, the fangs and claws dripping with blood beginning to retract, the red seeping back to yellow gold, the tail disappearing, the hair swaying in a heavy moon light mass.  
Around this mesmerising, horrific apparition, lay piles upon piles of shredded forms, bones, skull fragments, flesh, blood and slime mixed with black mud and strange darkly glowing poison.

The form of Sesshomaru was one moment amid the garish bloody ruin, the next kneeling by the half conscious Rin, who had been knocked heavily out of the way and struck the ground hard in the separation of the earth to keep her from the hellish demons.

Jaken and the two maids were struck dumb. For the maids it was the first time they had seen an almost full display of their employer's power. They stumbled back in pale shock and ran indoors.  
Jaken, exhausted, fell to the ground and stayed there for a stunned few moments.

Sesshomaru's blood red gaze ran hot over his wife's body, his still large claws tearing at her clothing that was soaked with miasma, then tearing off her bandages and her plasters. His Mokomoko wrapped around her and he lifted her in his arms and flew with her to his room.

Even just being held by the power of Sesshomaru, Rin revived a small bit.

'Lord – Sessho – sor – ry – '

He placed her light as a feather on top of his bed and began examining her wounds. They were mainly on her arms, and remembering even in his frenzied mind her repulsion at him seeing her nakedness, he kept her modesty intact even though they were alone as husband and wife, and began deeply licking her bite wounds. As soon as that was done he left her to sleep and went to Jaken.

'You couldn't kill the first one?' he growled at the imp, who hadn't been aware enough to pick up on Sesshomaru's sudden re-appearance.

'Lord Sesshomaru!' He jumped, turned and fell to the ground in an ingratiating manner 'Your splendour was a wonder to behold - !'  
A warning snarl made Jaken rework his manner of greeting to immediate self-defence.  
He was not going to be the one to get the flack for Rin's misbehaviour in the face of all his vain efforts to do as Sesshomaru had asked.  
'Milord you must know Rin was bent on disobeying you the entire time!  
All I heard was 'His highness can go and take a break' and 'I don't care what Sesshomaru says' from her and despite my patient and consistent pleas with her to listen to reason and obey you it seemed to just strengthen her resolve to continue on her course! I couldn't get a word in edgeways let alone kill the thing! Rin just blatantly disrespects you milor - '

' _Enough!_ I know how she feels' the royal Dog growled in a guttural exclamation with a bitterness so intense and impassioned Jaken's eyes became wide as saucers and involuntarily flew to the beautiful alabaster face above him, white set with slitted blood rubies for eyes.

'It doesn't matter – it's dealt with. It could have been much worse.' Sesshomaru had reverted to nearly normal within a space of five seconds and his very strange tone of voice had gone.

'If Milord had not returned in such perfect timing, as you always do, I would have had Rin's death on my hands!'

'Never say those two words together' hissed the demon, and ordered Jaken inside to sort things out in the mansion so he could get to the bottom of the accursed infestation.  
He already knew who and what and why, he just needed to know where.

And when he knew that, it would be a very ill day indeed for that devil Naraku.


	4. The Evil of Feelings

Rin woke up about 30 or so hours later, and she felt as though she had slept through for a whole week. She felt very heavy and dazed, and she lay with her eyes open for quite some time before she registered that she was not in her own bed.

She willed her senses to sharpen some more and her sight took in heavy black swathes of material everywhere, over the bed so it was like a cavern, over the windows; even the carpet was black, as was the décor.  
The only colour apparent was the en-suite which had mirrors rimmed with silver and gold engravings in the black tiles.

She knew it was her husband's room, and she began to remember what had happened, in a muddled sort of way.  
Mostly she felt a great wave of guilt at how she had flown in the face of Sesshomaru's wishes and how it had ended up with him cutting a vitally important business meeting short.

She did not want to face him; in fact he was the last person she wanted to see because she knew he would be ice cold towards her – and worse – disappointed - but her compulsion to apologise only just overtook that dreaded feeling.  
She was dressed in a nightgown, and she didn't question where that had come from - probably one of the maids. Just at that moment the door opened, and Sarah came in.

'Milady? Oh! You're up!'

Rin smiled weakly at the maid and patted the bed next to her.

'Oh no miss I dare not sit on such a grand bed, I just came in to see how you were doing, and seeing as you're awake, I think you need some food!'

'Oh no Sarah please don't worry about that – but where's Lord Sesshomaru?'

Sarah looked downwards and shuffled her feet.

'I have to say, miss, seeing what the Master is capable of the other day – those dreadful dog-demon things – I am still shaking from it. But the Master is gone again, he left as soon as you was sound sleeping. Kami knows where he went, but by the look on his face I am glad I was not in his way. Shall I get Sir Jaken for you?'

'Sarah, please relax! I understand the shock – Lord Sesshomaru hasn't had to use such power for a long time – and I was stupid and stubborn enough to create such a situation for him' Rin put a hand to her forehead, then it fell to her lap. 'I will have to make it up to him!'

'What shall you do milady?'

'I don't know yet – I know I interrupted his very important business trip. Maybe I could do something that might help him in that – '  
Rin mused to herself as she and Sarah went together to the kitchen, the maid helping the still frail young lady down the many stairs.

Sesshomaru had not wanted it to be true, but he had perceived that Naraku's method of messing with Rin and his own home may have just been a very potent distraction to the real issue, and that Naraku may have descended upon Suzuki and the meeting to obtain classified information and secondly, access to the money needed to kick start the process of the merger for his own despotic use.

As he flew back to Osaka, his mind rested on other things than the irritating matter of Naraku.  
His hands kept clenching together at the memory of his wife's soft small body resting in them, and how he wished – well, that was not possible. He hadn't had time to think of being angry at Rin, because his mind was preoccupied at Jaken's words repeating in his mind.

'Rin does not respect you or listen to you Milord – the more I told her it's best to obey you the more she became set on her path – she doesn't care for your wishes – '

His pale yellow eyes looked over the land below, his face the usual study of obscurity.

Rin had finally decided what she wanted to do to try and ease her guilt toward her husband – and that was to throw a huge party in celebration of the merger that spelled a huge step toward Japan's economy that the Demon Lord had orchestrated.

She set out writing an extensive guest list and decided it would have to be a surprise party in order for it to be successful, as she took a good guess that Sesshomaru would immediately put a damper on her plans.  
But Rin wanted to celebrate his successes publicly – and he would have the toast of the night, from important politicians, celebrities and businessmen – the recognition he deserved. He was far too humble and disconnected as it was.  
Rin knew most people would come, as not many functions had been held in the mansion (if at all in her memory) and apart from coming out of sheer curiosity, the mansion was a huge, sprawling, beautiful place and the grounds and façade were often used in adverts and travel pamphlets as a snapshot show-casing Japan's splendour.  
There was even a shrine and temple within the grounds that was of real use to the Demon Prince. It was tended by some monks and the intricate and ancient structure was a destination for many people; the shrine had been built and rebuilt for hundreds of years, taken wherever each dominant Dog Demon had gone.  
In his wandering years Sesshomaru had not had its power source, but now it was his. Rin was sure everyone invited would come, and probably many more.  
After the hectic past few weeks she needed something to lift her spirits right out of the mud and to try and give some happiness to her husband, or so she imagined.  
She had invited many beautiful celebrities too, and she knew Sesshomaru had posed with a good deal of them in various magazines and enjoyed their company.  
Even though it stung, Rin was getting used to that pain.  
She had given up on thinking he was hers in any way, even as a guardian. Rin loved him desperately, but she had forced her rational mind to see him as a fellow lodger with herself, only far superior, and one whom she happened to have a history with.  
She did have self-worth, but she was not the outwardly desperate type, or one to grovel and whine, and she made herself be content with the fact that she could see him far more regularly than a lot of people.  
But her heart was always sighing with the thought: 'If only I could have just one caress; one kiss.. how would his mouth taste - ?'

– no! Impossible.

Sesshomaru, if he had known his little wife's devious plans, would have deserted the thorn in his side that was Naraku and flown right back to burn the invitations (he hated parties, and he even more so hated surprises) – but alas for Rin, he did not know, and she was but laying the foundations to another blow up of a whole new sort.  
When Sesshomaru arrived in Osaka he found Suzuki in a state of panic and the poor man grasped the demons pale clawed fingers in his own.

'My Lord! That devil came in with his henchmen and stole the minutes and accounts from under our noses with one of his devises of smoke and poison! I think he plans to set up a company in mockery of ours – but with the opposite effect of liberating the people of their money and putting it in his pocket, and creating his dictatorship! What are we going to do? He has the information now, he could have it downloaded and saved on very device! He probably has the President in bonds in a basement - !'

'Calm yourself!'  
Sesshomaru pried his hand away from the near-hyperventilating Suzuki and strode toward the impossibly expansive sheets of glass that formed a wall looking out over the city.

The tall form of the demon lord was statuesque in its stillness as he appeared to scan the skyline, but he didn't seem to be 'looking' for anything; - at a closer glance Suzuki noticed the elegant head was ever so slightly tilted forwards and to the side, as though listening intently.  
In a sudden movement Sesshomaru had swung round and disappeared. The Demon now knew the where, and he knew exactly what to do.

He was before the gross man-devil thing in a flash – fifty miles in a few seconds. He had hidden himself in a suburban home on the outskirts of the city, and he looked just like a man, all of his power was veiled. He was surrounded with papers and laptops, desktops, phones, wiring and motherboards.

'Naraku' He announced disdainfully.

The creature swirled around and grinned, trying to hide his shock. Sesshomaru had approached him in a silence beyond the quiet of the night.

'Come to join me, milord?'

'Do not bandy idle words with me. I have a proposition, and you are going to agree to it.'

Naraku was clearly entertained.  
'Oh, yes? Please, take a seat. I am eager to hear what words you will say that are going to have me at your feet. I will let you know you that have only 8 minutes before your time is up and I call my henchmen on you, and you will call me President'

Sesshomaru didn't bat an eyelid, but continued, knowing Naraku was actually quite unsettled. They both knew no amount of henchmen would keep the Demon Lord for very long.

'It's simple. You are going to destroy every machine in front of you, and every disgusting mutilated brain attached to you that contains the information, before I rip every fibre in your body apart'

Naraku let out a laugh and clapped his hands.

'You have 2 minutes' Sesshomaru snarled.

At that moment he raised a swift hand, and before the eye could perceive the action, his green whip flash had flicked backwards, burned through the door and sliced off the heads of the henchmen about to burst in upon him.

'1 minute' his gaze remained unblinking on Naraku. The devil-man balked and began distorting himself.

Before he could spirit himself away Sesshomaru had him in a vice like grip and shredded his growing second head to pieces with his claws.  
As Naraku was on the ground bleeding profusely, trying to regenerate, the Dog Prince obliterated all of the technology with a searing tornado movement of his poison whips, save one of the smaller motherboards, which he tucked in a pocket inside his shirt.

'I don't care about killing you. Nor do I care as much about all – this – '  
Sesshomaru waved nonchalantly at the steaming destroyed pile of machinery, as though it were a few specks of dust and his merger was insignificant.  
'But if you fucking touch my wife again. I will eat your heart in front of your dying eyes'  
his teeth bared even though his voice remained chillingly neutral.  
He spat a hissing poison on the struggling devil-man's wounds before he disappeared from sight, leaving Naraku shaking, a foaming and bloodied mess.

Sesshomaru appeared in front of Suzuki within two hours of his leaving. The poor man had sprouted a few more white hairs in that time, and the firm seemed to be a complete shambles of running secretaries, ringing phones, dispatches, shouting, ordering, tripping up and flying papers.

'Oh! You're back! Did you find that beast? I will call the police, the security, everyone down on him!'

The Demon merely reached inside his shirt, withdrew the chip, dropped it in Suzuki's hands and tilted his head looking at his blood stained hand.

Suzuki went pale, following the demons golden gaze and the implication dawned on him quickly. He was a smart man.

'Oh – ' he said faintly. 'I – I see.'

The man seemed to go very still and looked at the chip in his hand.  
He slowly made his way to his office computer, around his gigantic mahogany desk.  
He inserted the chip and within half a second his large glasses reflected millions of flitting images being uploaded before his eyes: all the algorithms, minutes, years of planning, and information that Naraku had stolen.  
Suzuki's face broke in to a huge grin and he looked up in glee to thank the pale demon, but that mysterious being had already gone.  
Suzuki only ever became more mystified over his associate, but he would not question the illustrious demon's methods and motives as long as it also benefited him.  
There was no more powerful ally than Sesshomaru, after all.  
Not every human businessman was in league and protected by an ancient and supernatural entity with no strings attached. He shrugged and went on to make a firm-wide announcement that all was solved and a statement would be forthcoming.

Rin had finished all the invitations, finally, and went out to post them in the closest village. She still wasn't feeling too well so she skipped visiting anyone.  
When she returned home, on the other side of the door lay a box, a box with holes in it. It was moving.  
Rin screamed in a silent shocked way, fell to her knees, tore open the box and inside two large dark brown eyes stared up at her, and a mini little tail started whirring like a mini copter. Without even being aware of it, Rin started crying.

'Oh my goodness! What is this? Who - ? Sarah, Tanaka!' She cried out in a tone of high delight mixed with confounded wonder.

A few of the servants came running to find their mistress on her knees in the entry way, a tiny bundle of white fur in her arms, with a black paw, a black tipped tail and a black patch on its head and back, being quite yappy and excited.

'Oh my Kami, when did this get here?!' Sarah giggled, bending down to pat the puppy.

'Cheri!' breathed Penelope, and Tanaka stood back a little smiling to himself.

'Seems Milady got a present from an admirer' he remarked. She was a gorgeous picture – plopped on the floor in a close fitting blouse and skirt, her hair falling over her shoulders, the puppy bundled close in her plump pale little arms.

'I am glad you like it' came a cool voice from the side, and Sesshomaru was leaning against the great marble pillar which was one of a pair that served as an entrance to an ante chamber from the foyer. It seemed that he had been there the entire time, his gaze resting on Rin's lit up little face.

The servants immediately backed off, and after some awkward moments they melted away to their quarters again.

Rin had immediately gone a rush of deep red to her ears at the sight and sound of her husband, and her eyes had flown to his face at once in shock, surprise, guilt and a throbbing heart-in-her-throat choked up feeling.  
Her gaze dropped again to the puppy, and she buried her face in its fur to try and hide her obvious shyness and embarrassment.  
What in Kami's name must he think of her… and he had been there the whole time…

Her tears still trailed down her cheeks and she had no idea at all what to say.  
Why had he given her such a precious gift? After her woeful, stubborn behaviour?  
She felt worse than ever and willed for the ground to open up below her.  
Of course, that did not happen, and she felt all her muscles taut in tension – she wished she could thank him joyfully and also tell him how happy she was to see him and ask where he had been and if he was ok – but she needed to beg for forgiveness first, yet how was she to say it?  
She ended up stuck and her throat seemed to close and her tongue to stick to the roof of her mouth.

He must have read her silence and turning away as a sign of repulsion or dislike at least, or even ungratefulness, for when Rin dared to peek up again, he had left.

The pit in her stomach was now a gaping abyss, and her heart swelled with regret at what she felt was burning coal heaped on her head. She kicked herself inwardly over and over – why must she mess every little thing up with him? She mustn't overthink it, she knew, she just had to get things out and say them, be the old Rin!  
'Look at this adorable puppy' she thought to herself 'he can't be too angry to give me such a precious gift!' Or was it like him to further existing guilt and humiliation with kindness? Oh Kami! How was she to know?

Her mind kept running on as she cuddled her new pet. The creature who was her husband by law was so otherworldly and so beautiful – every time she saw him after a little way away, she was struck anew with his peculiarly striking looks and his piercing golden gaze, his long silver hair framing his tall form.  
He was very handsome.  
A large part of her reaction in blushing so deeply was to find herself unwittingly the object of his singular and powerful, yet always reserved, regard. Those penetrating amber eyes being bent upon her made her feel light-headed and heart-sore, immediately shy.  
He was so unattainable, untouchable.  
And she had caused him such massive inconvenience through her stupidity.

If only Rin could see how the Demon Lord had returned noiselessly to his room and fallen down on top of his black bed covers among all the pillows, his pale form almost glowing, and how his eyes dulled over like glass and his face became drawn in some deep shadow of emotion, and how one of his clawed hands grasped the area where his heart was meant to be, as though trying to outwardly hold it together.


	5. Chapter 5

It was the next day and Rin had been building up her courage overnight to go and talk to her husband in his office – she had to talk to him, even if he didn't want to see her as Jaken had warned.

Gathering her new puppy in her arms she made her way to his office and knocked on the door, her heart rate already increasing despite her efforts to control it.

'What?' came the deep voice from within.

'May I come in Lord Sesshomaru?'

Rin had put on a cute dress to give herself a bit more confidence- 'look good when you are in trouble' was one of her mottos.

Instead of answering, Jaken opened the door.

At the far end of the room where the large office desk was, Sesshomaru reclined in a big leather chair, smoking.

Rin felt small, but her determination made her step forwards, as well as the puppy under her arm which made her feel like she had a friend with her at least.

Sesshomaru's gold eyes eventually swung round to her, looking steadily at her through the slowly swirling smoke of his cigarette.

He exhaled some more as he motioned with his cigarette holding hand for her to sit.

'You shouldn't be keeping that puppy indoors Rin' Jaken said tetchily at the girl.

'He's tiny, he won't do anything' Rin objected.

'I can't trust your pets after your escapade, foolish girl!'

'Jaken, enough' Sesshomaru all but sighed 'you should know I can pick a dog from a demon'

Rin poked her tongue out at the toad behind her hand, shielding it from her husband.

The imp narrowed his eyes and grunted, shuffling out of the room.

There was an awkward silence, which Rin forced herself to break. She had no idea how Sesshomaru felt about her right now. He could be indifferent, or he could be about to blast her with his icy anger. It was one or the other.

'My Lord – ' she began in a slightly shaking voice – 'I - I am sorry I disobeyed you'

Another pause.

'Well?' His deep voice was even and aloof.

Rin hated this obscure flippancy.

The puppy was stirring in her arms; it yapped then it jumped down and ran under the desk to get to the Demon Lord.

'Pepper likes you a lot' Rin said in a small smiling voice.

In one elegant movement Sesshomaru had picked the puppy up and plopped it on his desk like it was a small sack of flour. Pepper went on to eagerly lick his fingers whenever they rested near her.

'It knows its Master' Sesshomaru replied, shooting Rin a look that made her feel like his remark wasn't directed at the puppy, but a back handed reprimand to herself.

Why he would say something like that to her, she had no idea. He wasn't interested in her as a slave, or a wife, or a friend, or a possession. She was just – 'there' – to him. She brushed off the uncomfortable inference and decided he had meant it for the puppy.

'Is there anything I can do – at all – to make it up to you?'

Sesshomaru's eyes still rested on her through the grey white smog of his cigarette.

'Go and bring me a drink – anything you think I would like'

He tapped the ash off his cigarette and kept Pepper from devouring the ash tray contents.

Rin thought it was a stupidly simple and esoteric request – she frowned a little, but without saying anything she got up and went to fulfil his wish. When she reached the kitchen she suddenly realised how difficult the behest actually was.  
What on earth did Lord Sesshomaru drink? Cold, hot? Milky, soda? Bland or sweet? Kami! Maybe there was an ulterior motive?  
She blushed at the memory of his eyes on her face and felt her heart begin beating faster and faster at the thought of going back.

Alcohol! That's what she'd give him! A shot – of whiskey!

Or maybe, an espresso shot? Yes, caffeine and alcohol! She fumbled around for the shot glasses, and the tumblers, and made the drink, a heady strong mixture – he was like that dark amber liquid in her hands to her – potent, like a drug; he made her feel excited, light headed, giddy and full of desire.

She took it back up to him and entered the room; he was standing by the window, and he had lit another smoke, Pepper sitting right next to his foot.  
His profile was accentuated by the sunlight, and his silver hair was illuminated bright white.  
Rin, feeling shy again, approached him and held out the glass. She wasn't even at his shoulder height, and his eyes, set aflame from the lowering sun in the sky, seemed like two fire brands above her. His fingers brushed hers as he took the drink out of her hands, and she had to stop herself from visibly shuddering at the spark his touch created.

'Macallan – caffeine – ' he mused, throwing back half the glass all the while watching Rin's flushed face.

'Why did you choose that drink for me?' He asked, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Rin had her eyes fixed on her feet.

'I – I don't know' she replied hopelessly. Did he guess she had chosen the drink for him based on how he affected her directly?

'Drink it' he ordered, holding the remaining liquid out to her. Rin looked up at him briefly, and saw his eyes held some peculiar light as he stared at her slightly parted lips, in a way that made her breath catch in her throat and her stomach twist in a knot.  
If only she knew - her scent was mind-altering.  
She took the glass and hesitated slightly before drinking it, her face screwing up at the bitter, stinging trail down her throat.

'It's disgusting' she said, handing him the glass, a few mouthfuls left over. His eyes tore from her mouth and flitted to her questioning, confused brown gaze, probing them for a moment before she looked down.

Sesshomaru suddenly turned away from Rin and returned to his desk, but didn't sit down. She could smell his manly scent and his cologne as he passed her, and the tail end of his hair touched her shoulder, an intoxicating closeness. She closed her eyes for a moment to gather herself.

'I am going to leave this afternoon, to finish matters that were interrupted' he said, his voice even more distant than before.

Rin noticed that the little puppy was at her feet whimpering and she picked her up. It seemed there was no more she could do for the Dog Prince, though she dearly wished to make it up to him. She hoped the impending party would help.

'Yes, My Lord. I apologise again, deeply, for the inconvenience and stress I caused you. J-Jaken had said you wouldn't want to see me – after what I did – so, thank you – '  
Rin stayed for a moment, in case he said or did anything that alleviated her guilt, but he only remained hovering over his desk gathering certain papers, discs and USB's together in a rushed manner, either in busyness as Rin thought, or more accurately, in a studied attempt at keeping his distance from her.  
Dejected, confused and for some strange reason, even exhausted, poor Rin bowed, and left him.

When she had left, softly closing the door behind her, shutting off her scent, Sesshomaru stopped fidgeting and sat in his chair heavily.  
Toying with the glass that contained the very strong, very addictive liquid in it, he considered something for a good few moments, his eyes staring at the drink, but beyond in to a space of his own mind, somewhere deep where two large innocent brown eyes framed with long dark lashes looked up at him, then faded quickly, as the small face turned away.  
Finally, he drank the rest of the dark drug from the exact place Rin's small cherry coloured lips had sipped from, his gaze fixed on the doorway where Rin had left.

The taste of the strong mix lingered on his lips.  
She found him disgusting.

That evening Rin couldn't sleep, and she decided to take the similarly restless Pepper outside for a walk in the garden.  
The night was crisp and fresh, a light but penetrating breeze was blowing, and a sweet smell was carried on the air from some lush mountain far away.  
Pepper sprang about like a little rabbit and Rin began running around with her to try and distract her mind from the repeating images of her husband in every form in her mind, and puzzling over what his thoughts towards her were, if any.

Why was he not infuriated with her? – his ageless and wise young face set with those brilliant jewel like eyes, his tall, broad shouldered and graceful figure – his silent observation of her when she had come home to Pepper in the box. The drink, the power he displayed when destroying the demon plague, the same creature that had stood in front of her with the strange light in his eyes that had made her squirm all over. His deep voice that held so much mystery, yet gave her an unusual sense of comfort and security.  
Everything about him set off a fire of magnetic attraction within her.  
It was no good, no good at all. She knew her desperate feelings for him were in vain, and she was fantasising about something forbidden and far out of reach. Yet her heart strained and cried out in silent plea and desire; - dog ears could hear much, but Rin knew the cry of the heart was out of range even for the Lord of them.

She did not know Sesshomaru had delayed leaving till later, and he had been passing by his window three stories above where Rin and Pepper were playing, when he saw them.  
He paused in his pacing and watched his wife play with the puppy he had given her – the moonlight reflecting in his eyes like mirrors.  
Rin's long hair was flowing in the wind as she laughed and twirled around, the yapping puppy at her heels. She eventually fell down in the deep grass, her rounded chest heaving with the exertion as she laughed anew at Peppers onslaught of licks all over her neck and face.  
He was not to know her inner anguish and lostness.  
All he saw was a beautiful carefree woman, lying on the grass like a little nymph of the forest with her familiar.  
Sesshomaru realised his hand had clenched to a tight fist at his side and he flung away, cursing under his breath, grabbing what he needed before he departed.

Nymphs feared and hated any demon.

The next day brought Kohaku to Rin's doorstep with a bunch of flowers.

'Hello my Lady! I heard you weren't well, and I had a day off in the area – '

'Kohaku-san!' Rin was overjoyed as she opened the door, letting Pepper come out to play.

'Who's this?' Kohaku laughed as the little dog began play fighting his jean leg.

'Sesshomaru-sama gave her to me as a gift!'

'What? The Cold Demon gave you a puppy? What on earth is going on!' Kohaku laughed and Rin smiled, holding out her hands.

'I really don't know, I am very confused myself! Oh Kohaku, it's so nice to have someone who I can relax around! Thank you for the beautiful flowers – do come in, and I'll get you a drink!'

When they were in the kitchen and Rin had put the flowers in a vase and made her guest a drink she sat down next to him and they discussed generic things for a while.

'But I am still wondering about Sesshomaru' he mused again as they touched on the subject of the dogs. 'Why he would give you a gift so thoughtful after so much neglect, and after you did him dirty so to speak – '

'I wish I knew' Rin's voice dropped ' – it's so hard, Kohaku. I am drained completely after just five minutes around him – I hardly know where to look or what to think – nothing he does or says makes sense, and I'm – I am tired. You know how it feels – the hurt.. that lady you told me about who broke your heart - '

Kohaku looked at her a moment, was going to say something, then changed his mind.

'Yes. I do understand all too well. Yet unlike me you can't escape – you are tied to him. Would you – forgive me if this is too far – would you consider divorce?'

Rin looked as though she had been slapped in the face, so strange was the suggestion to her.

'N-no, I hadn't – you see, you know he has always been in my life in some way – I don't know how I could continue without him there in some form – '

'You have settled for a very tight box that you have been externally locked in to Rin-san' Kohaku said softly. 'If he lost you, he would either not care, or show his true feelings. But I would never plant an idea in your mind. Hey, do you want to come with me to the shops? I think we could buy Pepper some toys so she doesn't chew through my whole pant leg'

Jaken met them on their way out in the hall.

'Rin, Lord Sesshomaru left me with instructions to tell him of any visitor while he was gone. There have been strange things happening, as usual. Make sure no imposters come here' Jaken narrowed his eyes at Kohaku, as though the man wasn't a very regular guest.

'Jaken stop being rude' Rin said hotly 'and if Sesshomaru-sama must know anything, let him know I am being very well taken care of'

Jaken huffed as the pair passed by him and he went off muttering under his breath. 'Milord has a thing against that Kohaku, he does seem a slimy customer to me. There goes Rin with her emotions again. What am I to do with her. Ah well, I can only tell Milord as he requested.'

Rin told Kohaku of her plan for the party and asked if he had received the invitation.

'The mail should come today or tomorrow' he answered ' – what day are you making it?'

'It's a Friday night, the 12th, in a fortnight. I am getting in the best catering and entertainment!'

'Hm the 12th rings a bell with me' Kohaku pondered a moment 'Ah I cannot remember – stupid memory!'

In fact he did remember, but for his own purposes he kept the cards close to his chest. In fact, it was the same day that Sesshomaru's power was at its weakest – for then, millennia ago, his mother had left the demon family, and she had said certain words to Sesshomaru that took power from him on each anniversary of that time. Kohaku only knew this because of what a wise old woman called Kaede once said, when inquiring in to Rin and Sesshomaru's past. He also knew that Rin's naïve move of throwing a party would attract all sorts of customers to the very hidden and secret home of Sesshomaru, and there would probably be a situation that would arise that needed his power to come in to play. Kohaku wasn't an evil man, but he hated Sesshomaru because he loved Sesshomaru's wife – and this could play in to his idle hands.


	6. Chapter 6

The next day Rin woke up to 3 missed calls from an unknown number on her mobile phone - and the next moment Penelope burst in on her without ceremony to say Master Jaken had to speak to her.

Rin put on a dressing gown and ran to Jaken who was pacing downstairs in the main reception room.

'Rin! Lord Sesshomaru's secretary called and you are to fly out this morning to meet him in Osaka'

Rin went pale and without thinking rushed upon the imp and took him by the bony shoulders.

'What has happened? Is he hurt? What is going on?'

'Nothing like that!' Jaken put up his hands in defence 'Milord just said he has a very important press conference this evening and he needed you there for some reason – and to bring papers with you which one of his associates handed me early this morning – it's of urgency but he is not in any danger of any sort'

Rin sighed deeply, thanking Kami he was safe.

'Though press conferences hold dangers of their own, I might add' Jaken added looking more closely at Rin 'but I am sure milord will tell you when you get there. What are you going to do with the dog?'

Pepper was nestled in the crook of her arm, still sleeping.

'Oh darn, can you look after her? I will pay you – '

'Oh no, don't you palm your dog off on me! Give it to the maids!'

'It's funny you are so devoted to a Dog Lord yet won't touch a cute puppy with a pole' Rin jested.

'Dogs from you seem to be ill willed' Jaken remarked acerbically, and Rin laughed.

'You must get ready Rin, the taxi will be here in an hour!'

After rushing around and lots of wondering and internal conflict, Rin found herself in a plane seat on her way to meet with her husband, filled with anxiety and questions.

She had the papers in her handbag in a file, only about 15 pages long, but it was added to as Rin had caught Kohaku just as she was leaving and he also handed her a sleeve of documents, saying it was from his employer for Sesshomaru.

It was an hour and a half flight before she landed, and when she made it through the gates and security, a man and a lady met her and lead her to a sleek black car outside in a taxi bay, which took her to a gigantic corporate building a 45 minute drive from the airport.  
Rin knew Sesshomaru was powerful – but physically seeing the sort of largess he dealt with was dumbfounding and more than a little disheartening. It made her feel even further from him, if that was possible – and her utter puzzlement only deepened. She hated these nerve wracking situations where she felt as though she had entered a different world, one where she knew she didn't belong - a universe where people like Sesshomaru solely existed.

Rin followed the two people who had met her at the airport through the rotating glass entryway in to a great open space of polished floors, chrome, many sharp looking suited people, a huge echoing rush of walking money and understated decadence.

'Where is she?'  
Rin heard a familiar voice carry across the cavernous peopled space and she saw a white crowned head that stood a little above anyone else, a waterfall of silver hair framing a stern face - and at the same moment Lord Sesshomaru's eyes zeroed in on his little wife and he came immediately towards toward her across the wide shining floor, people clearing like a wave before him.  
Rin's little heart was about to burst from shock – seeing the Sesshomaru who her body and soul yearned for in command of such a corporate army, wanting her in that moment, bearing down upon her like she was a flame and he was a moth, made time stop still - all she saw was his burning yellow eyes, seeking her.  
Rin was snapped out of her daydream at her husband's greeting.

'Where are the papers?' Were his first abrupt words as his eyes drilled in to her.

'Oh - !' Rin fumbled about in her handbag, clumsily retrieving them. Sesshomaru took them off her before she could offer them and he was gone again, passing her with a swish of his long hair.

She felt stung. If he had just wanted documents why did he have to fly her out for it and treat her like chattel? She would rather remain a mere existence in his life than be drilled then ignored like a stray animal.

'Follow me, milady' spoke the woman who had helped get her from the airport. Rin, smarting, picked up her bags and followed the woman to a long line of lifts and ascended to the 21st floor – which appeared to be a level of hotel rooms.

'There are your keys, room 78 to your right. There is a restaurant just down the hall from your room. If you need anything just ring the phone in your room and we will help you. Lord Sesshomaru needs you in the lobby by 5pm, dressed in the outfit laid on your bed. Do not be late, my Lady.'

The woman left Rin and the poor girls head was swimming.  
So, this was business mogul Sesshomaru. She was sure she had merely seen the tiniest snapshot at this point and she was quite certain she didn't wish to see any more. Let her go back to being a background figure, utterly disconnected from his world as much as possible.

She found her room number and unlocked the door, punching in the numbers on the key to gain access. The door unlocked with a low beep and Rin went in, closing it behind her. She sighed as the room offered immediate silence and a space for her to be alone after a very hectic morning. When she saw the room she gasped – but of course it was grand and spacious, she thought – only the best for these sort of people. She still didn't feel at home at all in Sesshomaru's mansion – and this room had the same effect. It was all so flashy and sterile, loveless and empty.  
Give her the woods and streams, the meadows and plains any day over these gilded prisons.

Laid on the satin covered double bed was a demure outfit of a pencil skirt and pale pink blouse. The shoes were ballet flats, and there were sheer black stockings as well.  
What on earth was she here for, and why was the situation so urgent? What was with the pre-planned outfit and the summons at 5?  
All Rin could do was sink down on the maroon divan and curl up in a ball to take a nap. It was 2:30pm and she was hungry, but more tired and confused than anything and wished for sleep to transport her from reality for a couple of hours.

She was not afforded such a luxury however, as she was burst in upon by someone after 10 or so minutes of her dozing off. She raised her dazed, ruffled head and focused her eyes as papers were shoved in her face.

' _What is this? What have you done?_ '

It was Sesshomaru, and his tone was downright scary, his eyes blazed like iron struck in a furnace.

Rin's eyes swam as she desperately tried to focus on what was in front of her, her heart racing at an erratic and uncomfortable pace. What was going on? What in Kami's sake was happening? Why was he so – so _mad_?

'I – ' Rin started tremblingly, as her eyes perceived writing that was far from 'official document' status, and far more 'official threat' – red paragraphs of veiled insults and expletives, consequences of actions, calls to surrender, ransoms, horrible words that made Rin even more sick to the stomach – her head started suddenly throbbing with a migraine.

Sesshomaru threw the papers to the ground in a swift movement and Rin squeezed her eyes shut. Her mind was chaos – what had happened? The papers Jaken had received were infiltrated? Or – no, it could not be Kohaku? Sesshomaru stood in front of her still as a light house which was surrounded by whipped up stormy seas.

'Speak!' He ordered, his temper strongly restrained.

Rin kept her eyes flitting over the thrown down papers, in shock, and she knew she had to say something. She was the one who knew where the papers came from.

'I – I was given a 15 page document from Jaken this morning – he told me I had to leave immediately – with these files, - and on my way out – Koha – '

' _Kohaku_?' She was cut off by her husband's wrathful voice. 'What was he doing near you again?'

Rin flinched at Sesshomaru's frighteningly cold voice.

'H-he gave me some papers, that he said was from his employer to give to you – so I brought them without even looking, knowing you are colleagues – I – I had no idea any of them were – _those_ – '

'You seem to be fond of bringing ill will upon me' Sesshomaru remarked bitterly as he turned and paced 'You should have checked the papers – but I can take a guess at who this was – you realise even though this press conference will announce this merger to the world, a move that will bring about more economic balance and work, there are some potent enemies that exist, not just in the demon world. Gangs who hold the money in unfair balance and own far too much are at this moment being looted and chased down – the money that will be distributed again to those who earned it – yet these criminals are in high places, and though Kohaku may not particularly be aware of the magnitude of it – his employer's slate is not quite spotless. His boss was no doubt threatened to deliver these papers to me, and Kohaku was his middle man.  
I am sure the bastard rubs his hands at the thought of one of his top employees being in the pocket of the wife of one of his rivals.'  
Rin flinched at the description.

Sesshomaru ceased his incessant pacing for a moment to shoot the little woman a fiery glare.  
'You apologise for not listening to me – and yet you continue to disobey. You know of my dislike of Kohaku. It is not only for selfish reasons either' he added under his breath.

Rin's heart was hammering shakily in her chest at his anger and his justified - albeit blinded - belief of her deceitfulness.  
She had absolutely zero idea of Kohaku's employer being involved in criminal activity – she had thought him a colleague – not a rival or enemy!  
Her indifferent ignorance of her husband's life, business and connections meant this horrible mistake had been made.  
Rin loved Sesshomaru more than anyone, but every time she had interactions with him it appeared she was on the side of his enemies more than on his side – her own husband! His idea of her must be so warped by now that she was anguished; this was far, far worse than being just a mere existence to the Demon Lord.  
To think that this one being whom she adored beyond the span of her soul thought that she was flying in the face of his everyday life and aspirations was an idea that pained, vexed - distraught her.  
How in Kami's name was she to make him believe otherwise, with words from her own mouth, the mouth which he believed spoke only lies to him? She knew that would not work. Rin was at a loss, a total, miserable loss.  
She was choking back tears and any self-defence. Rin shifted, moving to the floor on her knees as she gathered the awful papers together in her hand, trying in vain to swallow the massive lump in her throat. The spiteful words on the papers swam before her eyes and tears were fighting with her will to remain as gathered as possible.

It was an understatement to say that Sesshomaru was a boiling cesspool of anger and jealousy on the inside, and he was reigning himself in admirably. He would never touch Rin, but to see this little woman in front of him who continually tore open his skin and crawled right under it, the one creature who could so disturb and provoke him to such an extent, or seem to be the centre of the things that were the actions of his enemies – this woman, this 'wife' of his – must really hate him, despite her appearances of softness and loveliness. It seemed very unfair to blame her – but in his anger, he was unreasoning, and Rin was a common denominator to most of his troubles, right before him.

Rin had gathered the papers and stood up, all the while avoiding her husband's gaze.

'What are you doing?' Sesshomaru half growled.

Rin was walking towards a wall fireplace on the other end of the room. Before she could drop the hateful pile in the flames, Rin found her wrist in the iron clasp of clawed long fingers. Her husband had faster than lightning flashed to her side and stopped her hand from destroying the papers.

'What are you thinking? I need these for evidence!'

Rin froze, staring at the pale hand around her wrist. His fingers overlapped around her arm, so small was she.

'I – I just didn't want to see it anymore – ' Rin's travel-ruffled hair touched the sensitive spot in the crook of his elbow.

Sesshomaru released her in an abrupt movement, his anger turned to fighting off other feelings.

'Dress in those clothes' he motioned vaguely to the outfit on the bed. 'I must go. The conference is at 8pm. You are joining me for dinner with two of my colleagues and my secretary. Meet me in the lobby at 5, as I am sure Akane told you.'

'A-after this? – Lord Sesshomaru – ' Rin's love overtook her inhibitions for a moment, despite what he must think of her, despite her pain. She held up the papers in her hand and looked up at him, stepping towards him, worry and stress in her little face.

'What if these people are there tonight? Aren't you in immediate danger? Should something be done?'

Sesshomaru took half a step back, maintaining her gaze, his breath a little caught.

'They will be there, threat or not threat. They are just trying to intimidate me in any way they can, which is impossible. It is not your concern.' He reached out and took the papers from her, glancing from them back to Rin's face which remained a pattern of deep concern laced with a desire he could smell.

'Lord Sesshomaru – ' Rin's lip trembled slightly as she began to hold out a tentative hand, but the Demon turned, leaving swiftly, throwing over his shoulder in a cold voice: '5pm'.

She only had half an hour before she had to meet him, but her mind was on his safety. The threatening document had contained some sheer hatred, and Rin felt a desperate almost motherly need to protect her Sesshomaru – yet how was she, a small human, meant to defend a timeless demon prince? She knew he could protect himself, and destroy anything that came against him, but Rin was disgusted at the hate that these people had for him. She had wanted nothing more than to run in to his arms and stroke his face, look in to his eyes and speak soft words to him.  
But she knew that sort of thing was out of the question; Sesshomaru had her down as someone who could not be fully trusted, and someone who seemed to be at the crux of things that went badly for him.

She changed in to the clothes after a quick shower, and she put on some makeup – powder, mascara and a new nude-pink mauve lipstick she had purchased at the shops at home. For her already dark and contrasting features the merest accentuation was enough to make her go from cute and girlish to cute and a bit more glamorous.

She picked up her handbag and left the room, locking it, and made her way down to the lobby. She had never met his secretary or many of his colleagues, so she was nervous to meet them, as well as what on earth she would talk about at dinner. Not to mention being with Sesshomaru right after his tumultuous confrontation. How was she to act with any semblance of normality?

She exited the lift, trying to calm her see-sawing stomach and walked toward the lobby.

Passing many mirrors and indoor ferns and flowers arranged in gilded alcoves, she came upon a small elite group of people, the most brilliant of them being her husband.

It seemed they had been waiting for her and she realised she was about twenty minutes past the 5pm mark.

Sesshomaru didn't even look at her, but one of the two ladies there did. The other was a man.

'Oh so you are Lady Sesshomaru! My name is Chiaki, nice to meet you' she said archly, approaching the demon's wife with an appraising look.

'Yes, I am Rin' she choked back her nerves with steely determination. She was not going to give away her anxiousness and worry in front of these dazzling people.

'How lovely. We must make our way to our booking, I do hope you like Western food' Rin guessed the talkative Chiaki to be her husband's secretary.  
She was pin point perfect in every strand of hair and seam of clothing. Rin was glad for the clothes that had been laid out for her as she was not too far out place with the attire of the other ladies present.  
The man kissed her hand in greeting and the other lady smiled, but kept to Sesshomaru's side as they walked together to the dinner.

Chiaki looped her arm through Rin's even though Rin was much shorter. The dyed auburn haired lady bent slightly to talk in to Rin's ear, not to hide her words from Sesshomaru for she knew that Demon had his ears trained on their conversation (she knew that slight tilt of his head though he was in conversation with another) – but rather from any other possible listeners.

'I sense you are worried my dear but there is no need to be. You must know your husband is in no need of protection, but for the sake of appearances – we are all highly trained, if you know what I mean.' She raised her head again and smiled at Rin's surprised expression.  
'Yes I know what you were thinking. I must say though' Chiaki added, her voice quite cheeky.  
'Trust Lord Sesshomaru to choose a sexy little fox like you for a wife' Chiaki winked, raising her eyebrows as she glanced to Rin's large perky breasts and back to her innocent face without shame.

Rin went bright red, but couldn't help laughing at the ridiculous remark, ridiculous from the point of view that Sesshomaru had not chosen her, nor was she very sexy, compared to all the other women the Daiyokai surrounded himself with. But Rin was smiling at least.  
'That's better. There is no need to be so worried little cherry blossom' Chiaki pulled Rin along with her and chatted about inconsequent things, and before she knew it they were at the restaurant.  
It was pink and white with gold and silver, and it had two mezzanine levels with chandeliers dripping from the high ceiling, lighting the atmospheric room.

They were seated in an alcove slightly separate from all the other tables, and Chiaki sat next to Rin, with the other lady whose name was Leito next to Chiaki and the man, whose name was Kei, was seated next to Sesshomaru, who was directly opposite Rin.

The meal was brought out almost immediately, a sort of tasting platter style banquet. Rin had passed hunger to a stage of wanting a drink, and she stayed the waiter for a moment to order a glass of wine. Sesshomaru's eyes kept returning to his wife's face, and he studied her increased paleness with silence.

'Drink over food Lady Rin?' Chiaki joked.

Rin smiled at her 'I was hungry before, but not so much now. Wine is always a good option'

Chiaki laughed and said 'Is that your secret to large breasts?' Rin choked slightly.

'No but really how do you have such a good figure, and you're so little! A pretty face too! Come on Kei, you can't deny it, back me up!'  
The poor man was trying to ignore the slightly sexual conversation, as was Leito, but Sesshomaru was looking at Rin with the flame of the table candles flickering in his eyes.

They began eating once everything was served, but Rin didn't touch much food because of her inner turmoil and instead focused on her wine. She was eternally grateful that Chiaki was such a chatty jokester. She could see why her cryptic and stern husband had her for a secretary, she no doubt kept things light hearted in heavy situations. The rest of them had some form of alcoholic beverage as well and Chiaki became even louder within an hour.

'Sesshomaru-sama you must forgive me for a moment – ' Chiaki put her hand on Rin's breast and squeezed slightly, a serious expression on her face. Suddenly a sauce covered meat ball was flung in her face and she looked in shock at Sesshomaru, who was deep in conversation with Leito and Kei, apparently oblivious.  
'This is a new top Sesshomaru-sama!' Chiaki whined 'And your wife is just so irresistible! I had to know her bra size!'

Rin didn't really mind Chiaki's antics, especially with three glasses of wine on a very empty stomach helping her ease her mind and tension. It actually felt nice to have her breast held, she thought off-handedly and she even said as much in Chiaki's defence as the two ladies went to the bathroom to get the sauce washed off Chiaki's blouse. Sesshomaru broke his tete-a-tete with his two colleagues to glance at the two women's retreating figures, particularly the smaller, curvier one.

'You know' Chiaki said, her tone sort of changing once they were away from the table 'Sesshomaru-sama can hear what I am saying to you even though we are across the other end of the restaurant – but I don't care. I just had to let you know, he has been a lot calmer ever since you arrived'

Rin was re-applying her lip colour in the mirror of the black tiled shining bathroom as Chiaki scrubbed at her shirt in vain. But Rin felt a thrill of shock go through her at Chiaki's remark and she couldn't believe it to be true.

'It's probably because he let his anger out with me in private earlier' Rin deflected.

'Oh did he? He can be scary' she mused 'but I tend to run away when he is in those moods. I guess you cop all his ugly side without being able to escape – that's what marriage is isn't it?' Chiaki and Rin laughed, but it was all too true.

'Are you married Chiaki-san?'

'Yes! Kei is my husband'

'Oh! I am sorry – I didn't know!'

'Don't apologise you little peach. You only just met us! He is a very prudish man, but a bit of freak behind closed doors' she winked. 'I think you may relate. How could Sesshomaru-sama keep his claws off you?'

Rin blushed and laughed a little awkwardly in response before saying they should maybe head back over to the table.  
Chiaki was not stupid, despite her very outgoing and sexual demeanour.  
She was after all, head secretary to one of the most powerful demons in Japan. She was actually an extremely ruthless, astute and calculating business woman, and she was a pillar of integrity.  
At Rin's awkward, naive reaction to her veiled question, Chiaki's suspicions were confirmed and she inwardly huffed.  
Her employer had not touched his scared young wife, or made her feel loved at all.  
Trust the most brilliant businessman to be absolutely hopeless at his intimate life. She frowned to herself, and put her arm around the little lady's shoulders as they went back to the table. The other three had been waiting to leave as they got back to the table, and Sesshomaru's eyes went from Rin's face in an enigmatic look, to Chiaki's in a gathering expression of anger.  
Chiaki noted it and knew he wanted to talk to her. On the way back, Rin had some genteel and much less exciting conversation with Leito – Kei was mainly silent except for occasional grunts.  
Rin wished she could get the 'freak behind the doors' out of her mind but she was having a hard time of it, and her mouth kept jerking in to a wry grin, as she also routinely glanced at the far ahead figures of her husband and Chiaki as they walked together. Sesshomaru looked so beautiful, even from behind, his silver hair swaying with his movements, falling over his angled shoulders and his long legs striding with ease. He wore a grey open neck shirt and slim black business slacks. Chiaki seemed to be motioning her hands in an imploring way. Rin saw Kei was keeping a steady eye on them as well.

Afterwards everything was a blur. They arrived back at the firm and there was a horde of journalists, photographers, newscasters, guests and mobs.  
Rin lost Kei and Leito – she couldn't even see Chiaki, but the next moment she was swarmed by people asking questions and shoving cameras in her face, and her wine filled stomach churned very uneasily.  
She almost fell in to the person's chest that came up behind her with an arm around her waist to whisk her away. Silver hair draped over her like a curtain and her husband had shielded her from the press, taking her to a deserted room that had a large table and many chairs in it. The press were distracted by some other important guests and left them alone, for now.  
Rin did not know Sesshomaru had also glared at them so viciously they decided that the famous mogul was in one of his customary foul moods and they already knew to stay well away. It was why there were relatively so few articles about him.

The door closed off a lot of the bustling crowd noise and flashing cameras.  
'Sit' he told her in a brusque voice.  
'Stay here. Do not move anywhere, or even look outside. I am going to the meeting. I will come and get you afterwards.'

Rin looked at him in questioning, not wanting to be just left there alone.

'Why?' Was the only word that came out and Sesshomaru turned back. He only looked at her – he wasn't going to tell her why, she just had to listen to him and stay there for now. He watched at her face for a moment, his chest rose and fell in a slightly shuddering breath. Then he was gone.

Chiaki actually slipped in a moment later and leant against the door as she closed it. She motioned to Rin to come in front of her. Rin bent her head up to Chiaki's face and the secretary said in the softest whisper:

'He may not be able to hear this, I hope. He just wants you out of harm's way I think. If you get too curious, which I wouldn't blame you for, here's directions to listen in on the conference. He would kill me for this but he's being too controlling!' Chiaki slipped a paper in to Rin's hand, smiled at her and left.

Rin certainly had not wanted to stay in the cold room alone, feeling ill and far too curious at what was going on. But she had been going to obey Sesshomaru just because she wanted to try and reverse his image of her as a sneak, or someone who didn't respect his wishes.

It seemed fate intervened to allow her to always circumvent him. She was indeed very curious, and extremely worried for her husband's safety after what she had read in that awful threat.  
She waited for nearly an hour, before she slipped out of the room.


	7. Chapter 7

_(QUICK APOLOGY!) I am so sorry for the loooong delay in chapter update, I am a full time tattoo apprentice and as such rarely have time or creative room to sit down and write a really good, satisfying chapter! I could have updated sooner but I can tell you now, it wouldn't have been as good as if I had waited for the right inspiration to strike! I thank you all for your lovely words of support and I hope you continue liking my story, I promise to finish it in time and not leave you hanging! xxx Much love 3_

The previously bustling halls were now relatively silent as most people had been ushered in to the cavernous meeting room.

Rin found her way to the room not so much by Chiaki's directions but by the sound a great mass of people make when they are trying to be silent, and a lot of camera click sounds and coughing/clearing of throats.  
Luckily, one of the doors was wedged open and Rin could clearly hear the voice booming over the many microphones. The announcer was still speaking and introducing her husband.

Rin couldn't see the stage, naturally, as there were four burly men guarding the door ways. She decided to stay glued to the shadows of the very back area.  
Rin was hoping against hope Sesshomaru would not pick up on her scent even in this cacophonous and crowded room, as he would see her presence here as thoroughly 'disobeying'.  
At that moment however, Rin caught a glimpse of the fox-eyed Chiaki through a crack in the crowd and their eyes happened to meet for a brief moment, that lady giving Rin a discreet but unmistakeable wink.

Rin was forming a new resolve to listen in on as many business related things that she could, to do with her husband's work, and to be as informed and savvy as Chiaki herself.  
As the wife of Sesshomaru, Rin scolded herself that she should be nothing less than an expert on big business.  
It was because of her previous blissful ignorance that the mistake of the infiltrated threat had happened – through her - the person who Sesshomaru should most be able to trust!  
She had certainly proved otherwise up till now and Rin was quite determined to work hard to make her husband believe in her as a confidant.  
She still had no idea how he thought of her, in any sense of any word, but if she could at least have his trust, that would be of a worth more than all the gold that lay hidden in the high mountains.

The MC continued on, describing in detail the merger and how it would solidify the country's wealth in to one integral source, breaking down the rebel parties that had formed as a result of de-centralising the reception of citizen's taxes, which had caused the funds to fall in to more disreputable hands, resulting in the re-emergent power of gang strongholds.  
Or that was as much as Rin could make sense of it.  
The announcer continued on to list the credentials of Rin's husband, who was due to speak next.  
Rin's breath held as though trying to cut off every possible trace of her forbidden presence, in case her husband's acute dog senses suddenly picked up on her being there when he had expressly told her not to be.

She heard the announcer say 'And now, please welcome the Lord Sesshomaru himself'

Her breath remained held, not anymore for the above reason, but because there seemed to be a very quickly growing confusion in the room, and even the microphone's switched off, as reporter's camera's flashed and people began moving about, whispering and inquiring. The mic was switched back on and the MC said in a feigned calm manner:

'Please everyone remain where you are. Lord Sesshomaru shall be here presently'

Rin gasped as she realised the growing general bewilderment was because her husband was not there!

She felt a painful tightening of her chest, her hands involuntarily clenching in to fists.  
Oh, damn her height! Damn her inconsequence! Damn her lack of any knowledge at all – she should have trained herself as Sesshomaru-sama's wife, to be at the forefront of all of his doings; she should be seated up there behind the MC with the other business-world heavy weights – a serious, intelligent spectator to the events unfolding, and knowing at once where her husband would be right now in the event of his strange absence at his own press conference!  
Damn, damn, triple damn. Rin was so _angry_ at herself. She could barely be called the wife of such a man.

Hardly registering the spark of a hot tear at the corner of her eye, Rin dashed out of the room, sudden panic gripping her. Sesshomaru was never late, let alone absent. That much, she did know.

Then, flooding in her mind as loud as twenty thousand war sirens was the memory of the recent letter of threat and Rin had to stop to steady her gasping breath and spinning head.  
No, no – this could not be. Rin grasped the sides of her head in terror for her husband.

Then, clear as a sudden ray of light in the gathering storm clouds of her soul was the questionably 'positive' thought that this was one thing that only she did know about – the letter of threat – she was the only one who had a clue as to why Sesshomaru could be gone, and maybe, even where to find him. As discontented people began now pouring out of the conference Rin wasted no more time, even evading Chiaki's searching gaze to dash till she burst out of the great glass doors to hail a taxi.

Suddenly, thoughts as precise and ordered as a military drill shifted one by one through Rin's head.  
He could protect himself of course – in most cases. Maybe not this one.  
What weapon/person would be required to disable him to the extent of missing his ground breaking conference announcement?  
If it had been Kohaku who had either witting, or unwitting, handed her the threat, he was not involved in this. No.  
To restrain her husband, the glorious beast-demon who was bound to her by civil ceremony, nothing less than a god could be a possibility.  
Rin herself had hardly seen her husband bested. If he ever did lose a fight, it was by his decision, not by greater power.  
This must be a grave threat.  
Something from a power no one would wish to face. Rin wondered where she should direct the taxi driver, who she had absent-mindedly told to 'just drive – and fast'.

After another few moments of deep thought Rin opened her mouth to decisively tell the taxi driver where to head. For the first time she actually noticed who the driver was.  
The red-headed secretary of her husband turned her head, a grim gleam in her eye, the taxi driver's hat ill-fitted to her large forehead.

'I already know what you have concluded in that deducting mind of yours, little fox' Chiaki said with repressed excitement, as her foot spared no gas on the pedal.

The place they finally arrived at was nothing short of heaven itself in appearance. Rin was not wrong when she had said to herself nothing short of a god would stop Sesshomaru.

Gargantuan silver gates that were both beautiful and terrifying rose before Rin and Chiaki as the stolen taxi car came to a stop, after they had travelled down a country mile of estate grounds.  
The gold filigree of the gates slowly turned to barbs and spikes as they reached the top of the wrought structures that shut out intruders, soaring to a height that only ended with many pinnacles of what seemed like upward facing jagged icicles, daring any thief to scale the height and end up impaling themselves on the expensive security device.  
Rin got out of the car alongside the secretary, as they both scanned the almost as high wall and hedge that surrounded the castle they were wanting to reach.

'Kei and the others will be on their way shortly' Chiaki said, her tone completely changed from the playful demeanour of their first meeting. She was calculating, astute.

'How are we going to get in?' Rin mused, as though they both hadn't been thinking through millions of ways how to do just that the whole time.

'Well, I have never actually been here before' Chiaki confided 'curse your man! He never let anyone here'  
'Curse him indeed' Rin muttered wryly, 'I would not have either, if it had not been for that one time…' her eyes seemed to film over with a faraway memory.

Chiaki glanced at her keenly for a moment.  
'Oh?'

Rin snapped back 'There was a time – ' she shuddered, then shook herself sane again 'it doesn't matter now, I will tell you later – time is of the essence. I have been here before, but I only ever exited, and that was with Sesshomaru-sama. I never entered this place.'

Chiaki seemed slightly confused at how Rin could have only ever exited this place without first entering. It had to have been something to do with Sesshomaru's powers, of course.

Rin was scuttling around the hedge wall, and she had begun climbing the almost glass-smooth precision of the vertically moulded shrub.

'There'll be something wicked at the top of the wall if you're planning to climb over!' Chiaki warned.

Rin knew as much, but this seemed to be the only option for now.

It would take her an eternity to reach the top by climbing this hedge, but she was determined. It was the only thing in the way of her getting to her husband.

Chiaki smiled to herself.  
Oh, what Sesshomaru was missing out on by not even paying attention to his little wife as an actual individual.  
She seemed so much like a lamb, but Chiaki was beginning to reckon Rin may indeed be - to all intents and purposes – a lamb; - but perhaps one that had been raised by wolves in the darkness of the wild.  
The demon wife's face was the pattern of naiveté, but her soul was a flame of fire.

When Rin had reached the half way mark up the hedge, three more cars had rolled up down below and Rin heard the closing of a few doors. This would be Sesshomaru's private 'entourage' no doubt, but she couldn't be sure. She dared not look down.  
What she didn't know was that there were more than three cars, and even than that more rolled in, and they did not contain friendly persons.  
Rin could hear shouting and knew a fight was happening down below.  
Chiaki shouted something up at her; she wasn't too sure what it was, the words 'ambush' and 'hurry' reached her ears, before everything was drowned out by distance.

Rin was exhausted, her fingers, arms legs and even face were scratched up from the hedge's hidden thorns, and her feet lost their footing quite a few times due to lethargy, but her spirit only became stronger, and knowing those below her were in jeopardy she knew she was the only one who even had a chance of making it.

Rin almost fell to her death as a few bullets whistled past her. She lost her breath and heart beat for a moment, but her mind was on one thing; she gritted her teeth till they ground in to themselves and kept climbing. She was nearly at the top.  
How she wished to look back to see what had unfolded, but unlike Orpheus, her lover was ahead of her and not behind, and hell was all around.

Finally the point came that her hand touched something hard rather than coarse and leafy. The top of the wall!  
Rin heaved herself to peek over the top. It was like a perimeter wall; there was a march all the way round the palace within, and she espied guards at certain points, the closest two being but 50 metres away. By the looks of it, there was no hedge to scale down the other side either.  
She had to get captured to get in the castle.

Rin hauled her little body over the wall and all but collapsed on the other side, her shirt torn and small drops of blood mostly covering her. There was no lack of leafage in her hair either. As predicted the guards immediately surrounded her and yanked her upright, chaining her.

'Who is this saucy bitch?' One guffawed.  
'We will take her to the Master' said another, his tone stern.  
'Aw, but, sir, c'mon – look at these tits! And a cute face too…. I bet she'd be a good fuck. Master doesn't need trifling interruptions until later, eh?'  
Rin shuddered in disgust at the words from the filthy scum, but she was grateful the stern one only grunted and began marching her towards the stairs that twisted downwards to the inner castle grounds.

The walk – or rather, march – was so long and intense Rin was more stumbling and falling than moving normally by the end of it. Some of her cuts were deeper than she had realised, but she hardly felt them for all the fear, adrenaline, anticipation, trepidation and determination she felt.

She was quaking, utterly quaking with fright, but almost like a deer poised for flight, she was tensed and focused – ready to go at the first sight of the person the guards referred to as 'Master' – her husband's captor.

They proceeded through courtyards and green houses, mighty glass dome affairs filled with exotic plants and animals; then they entered the castle itself.  
Almost as though entering a portal in to a nether-world, a purple haze enveloped them, but the guards marched on dragging her with them.

'Now you're going to behave for the Master' the lascivious guard lisped at her. He pinched her buttock and Rin started up straight 'that's right' he cooed 'nice straight back young bitch! Master doesn't like slumping'

'That's enough Caldwell!' spat the sterner guard 'you can fuck the under-maid later'

Rin desperately needed water, but she was not going to ask these despicable creatures, not if she died of thirst. She realised just how classy and gentleman-like her husband was compared to these scum, and a sudden pang of deep yearning struck her. She was nearly there, nearly going to see him, if what was happening was anything like she had guessed.  
As though reading her thoughts, the guard named Caldwell spoke again as they ascended their fourth flight of stairs.

'Now not only are you to greet the Master appropriately' he drawled 'but the Master's Son also – ' here, Rin shot the guard a cold glare of sudden interest.  
'Ah yes, Lord Sesshomaru is here' Caldwell continued, clever enough to have registered Rin's pricking ears. 'Do you know him, bitch?'

Rin was not going to deign to answer.

'Stubborn little thing you are' Caldwell purred, and Rin was grateful that they finally stopped in front of more massive doors. They were made of clouded glass inlaid with opalescent stone and amber.

The doors soon opened of their own accord.

The guards walked in to the chamber behind, and Rin's desperate eyes sought the one thing that would give her comfort and joy in this dismal place.

When they alighted on what she searched for, he had long been looking at her since.

Up from his great height, Sesshomaru had smelt Rin long before she had come here – and his piercing yellow gaze had nearly burned through the doors when he knew she was behind them, his mind opening them long before his Mother's did.

From the high centre of the hall, Sesshomaru's captor, his Mother, sat in grace on a tall throne of chrysolite, a sceptre in her hand.

Rin had been right.  
The only one powerful enough to hold back Sesshomaru.  
His own Mother.

'So nice of you to join us, Wife of my Son'  
The Lady's voice was dripping with sarcasm and scorn.

The guards looked in shock at the battered little human between them.

'M-Mi'Lady – is this – you're step-daughter?'

'Unfortunately, yes, Caldwell – this pitiful dying thing is my son's choice of mate.'

The guards immediately let Rin go, and Caldwell even apologised to her.

Rin didn't even take note; her gaze was fixed on her husband.  
He was also on a throne, higher than his Mother's and almost in the left corner of the room; Rin wondered desperately why he did not get up.

He was chained. That must be it. Even if it was invisible. It was the only answer.

Rin's eyes might have been fixed on the Demon Lord, but her human eyes could not see how Sesshomaru's chest was rising and falling in a shallow manner, or how his face was even paler than ever before. Or how his eyes were straining over all her wounds, and how he had long guessed how she had got herself where she was – but what had motivated Rin above even Chiaki to get to him in such a desperate manner escaped him.  
The sudden furnace in his wife's eyes made him feel something queer and he vaguely realised he had started panting slightly.

His Mother raised her head to slant a glance up at her son.

'Thirsty for you little human, Sesshomaru?' she archly inquired, hearing his very faint pant.

The demon lord paid no regard to her, his eyes glowing, focused on just one thing.

'I will let you go to her' said the Demon Mother 'but not in that form'

There was a sound of whip cracking and Rin had to watch as her husband was slashed across the face and back with poison cord not unlike his own, but stronger, longer – and more powerful.  
The effect of this was to make him turn, and he did.  
The lithe tall demon lord became the blood-eyed gigantic white hound in seconds as he was momentarily free from his bonds.  
Rin found the strength to run towards him, and she collapsed at one of his huge clawed paws, as his massive beastly head bent down to her, and his tongue licked gently at her wounds.  
Rin gasped as the huge warm tongue enveloped her whole body in one sweep, healing most of her cuts.

'How touching' said the Mother 'but not convincing enough. Back!'

Sesshomaru was cornered by some sorcery of the Demon Mother, and his beast like form was confined to the far corner of the room, putting a barrier between him and Rin.  
Rin's heart was light again; such affection had not been shown to her by Sesshomaru, at least in a very long time – and never in that form. Despite the situation they were both in, Rin didn't care. She was in his presence. That was all she needed at the moment.

'I give you some credit, Orphan, for infiltrating my defences. But that is where the credit ends. I cannot fathom what you think you can do now to advance your cause. I have no problems, in sight of your utter helplessness, in telling you why I have my son trapped here. His philanthropic little merger threw quite a few little spanners in the way of my relationships.'  
The Mother let this sink in for Rin before continuing. Rin was perplexed, and immediately began assuming this story was going to make her quite angry, as if she wasn't enraged enough already.

'You see, if the plan were to go ahead, all of my lovers would be left penniless and imprisoned.'

Rin narrowed her eyes as the information ticked over for a few seconds.

'You are saying the rebel party leaders are your lovers? And Sesshomaru-sama's merger includes plans to destroy them?'

'Yes' the Mother smiled thinly 'you couldn't have thought his business move was entirely altruistic. His first motivation was to destroy ties to his own family that he found disgusting. I don't know why – ' she added in a pouty tone ' – but my son seems to hate me! He won't let me have my fun. Just because he chose a little inconsequent prude like you for a mate doesn't mean my tastes are so pure' She laughed and Rin started as Sesshomaru let out a thunderous snarl.

'Isn't it wonderful? He hates it when I insult you' said the Demon Mother gleefully 'you never deserved him, human waste! Caldwell would suit you far better. In fact, he seemed to take a liking to you. While you are here, I may force an annulment of your so-called marriage, and give you each suitable mates of your own kind. How it should be.'

Sesshomaru fell extremely quiet, and Rin watched as his hound eyes narrowed to ruby coloured slits, his teeth bared in a frightening silent expression.  
He was so primal in that state, and despite the circumstances Rin blushed faintly at his anger, she dared to think, on her behalf.

All the while, Rin's little mind had been rushing at how she was to first, free her husband, and second, get out herself. After some quick spiralling thought, she realised she herself would not get out of here free.

This would involve nothing short of a hefty bargain.

She ground her teeth and with one last glance at her giant bristling hound-demon husband, she faced the Mother.

'I have an offer, an exchange. If you promise to set Sesshomaru-sama free.'

'Do go on, I will bite my tongue on precipitately saying 'no'' she chuckled.

Rin swallowed the massive bitter lump in her throat as she forced herself to choke out her next words, not daring to look back at Sesshomaru, her tone humbled and resigned.

'I divorce your son on the spot. I will leave and never see you – or him – ever again. If it pleases you, in order to free him – I will marry your guard Caldwell and appease your offended feelings toward my current connection with your son and your kind in general. This country needs Sesshomaru far more than it needs anyone like me. Let him back out there to exercise his will, which I believe is just and full of integrity, and, in due time I hope the right lady is found for him among your own people. Please accept this.'

Even through her despair, Rin was surprised that her small speech was not met with a laugh, but a brief heavy silence.

Rin dared to look at the face of the Demon Mother. She was actually thinking.

Eventually, she said:  
'Very well. I think this plan entertains me more than detaining my pesky son in order to keep my lovers out of prison. It would certainly tickle a funny spot to see you heart broken and degraded with that sleazy old guard. I was going to lay him off anyway, so you can both disappear from my life. You won't only be treated like a depraved sex toy by him, but in the squalor of poverty as well. Too long have you enjoyed the patronage and wealth of my family. It is a comfort too, that Caldwell will have your virginity, and not my son. I am glad for that. Sesshomaru only ruts with those who he desires, did you know? That may at least heal your little broken soul a bit faster – knowing he never wanted you the way you wanted him.'

The last thing Rin wanted, was to cry. The very damned last thing. Damn tears in front of this depraved bitch. It made sense as to why Sesshomaru was so heartless. At least he did the best with his heartlessness that he could. It seemed his Mother enjoyed and exaggerated her heartlessness to the extent of evil.

Rin could not look back at the Demon Lord. If she did, she knew she would cry. She wished she could see his face.

Sesshomaru had actually returned to his normal self, though his blood-red eyes, long teeth and claws were still very much present. Rin's ears burned with desire as she heard his voice carry for the first time across the expanse of this vast hall.

'If you are going to entertain the deal of an irrelevant orphan, mother, I wonder how you can call yourself one of us. To stoop to the level of – _that_ – listening and agreeing to the words of a rotting mortal who will lie in her grave as if it were tomorrow! Where is your pride?'

His words stung Rin far more than anything his Mother had said. Did he not understand she was trying to free him? She couldn't help but spin round to gaze at him in broken horror.  
He swung his wide red eyes to meet Rin's glazed over hazel-brown ones.

' _What?'_ He snarled, the force of his fierce anger nearly throwing Rin backwards. So – this – this was how he felt about her? Sesshomaru's gaze burned back at his mother.

'If you think for one moment that this utterly unappealing mortal has been enjoying the luxuries of a life with me you are entirely mistaken; she has been wanting to escape the miserable life she leads constantly. If you agree to this very clever, deceitful bargain of hers you will be giving her what she wants. She has longed for a human male's cock since she started bleeding!'

Rin was too shocked for words, her body was reeling in waves of hot and cold, and her skin was clammy. This couldn't be true – was this – Sesshomaru? Was this – his feelings, all along?

The Demon Mother narrowed her eyes more and more at Rin. The Mother herself had rarely seen Sesshomaru in such a state of emotion, dare she say – passion.

The very force of his feelings was driving it home quite thoroughly.

'Oh for fuck sake' said the Mother at last, heaving a heavy sigh 'I am getting bored with this tedious back and forth. It seems like you two were about to divorce anyway. Human orphan, I give you credit for very nearly deceiving me with your clever little bargain. As for freedom, I am quite bored as it is, and the power I consistently need to put out to keep my son caged is too much for me these days. Go, go, go, before I kill you both!'

Rin felt glued to the spot. Freedom did not feel like outside, or inside, at this point. Such had been the raw force of Sesshomaru's words that she had no power to rationalise what he had actually achieved with the words he had spoken. He had essentially freed them both, without any strings attached. All he had to do, was assure his mother how much he hated Rin.

She wouldn't know, that the words he had spoken was his only way of ensuring Rin was not whisked away from his life forever with her silly bargaining.  
It had taken all his power to retain his semi-normal form in order to speak, in opposition to his Mother's spell on him to keep him in full dog demon form.

Rin found herself blindly running, anywhere, she didn't know where she was going, the castle seemed endless, the tears blinded her. She was suddenly clamped across the mouth and jerked back against someone, and they all but carried her swiftly to the outdoors, past the court yards, then up, up, up – in to the sky itself!

It was then she could only just fathom with her remaining senses, that once again, her Sesshomaru-sama, who though he seemed to hate her with all his being, had once again pulled her from hell itself.


	8. Chapter 8

When Rin woke up next, she felt as though her consciousness was raising itself through many webbed layers of fog, sleep and darkness before it reached the waking world.  
A few blissful moments of ignorance went by, with the singing of a bird outside her window and the mellow sunlight warming her cheek, before her memory kicked in and the events of the past two days rushed through her soul like a tsunami of emotions. Her stomach then reminded her of its existence with a painful growl.

Rin immediately got up, but had to lie down again due to her head spinning wildly. She was also severely dehydrated, and her head was not happy with her; she fumbled for her tablets in her bag and took a couple of the prescription ones.  
Consciousness was not fun.  
Let alone the deep ache in her soul, at recalling the words Sesshomaru had said ringing in her ears.  
Surely he had not put her to bed like this, but rather one of his 'people', or maybe one of the hotel staff.

She guessed he was going to go ahead with the conference at a re-scheduled time.  
He was that type of person - he could go through harrowing things and still pull through and go back to work the next day.  
Being immortal had its perks.  
What Rin would sometimes give to have machine like functions and intelligence; but other days the thought of eternal release from this present world also seemed nice, and being mortal wasn't so bad after all.  
Except when it caused you to be immediately hated by your own husband.

Rin was too exhausted and in pain to cry. She just had a heavy weight of despair that sat at the seat of her heart.

Nothing she ever did, of course, would ever make Sesshomaru see her as valuable, let alone loveable. She would always remain a walking corpse to him, a mere flower in a field that passes with the setting sun. To add to his hatred, he was tied to her by marriage.  
The truth was the truth and she had always known it.  
Sometimes, it just hit home harder than other times – and this was one of them.  
The more she realised how deeply she respected, loved, desired him – the more it hurt that he felt the complete opposite.  
The confusing moments, such as when he bought her the puppy, or even when he had licked her in dog form yesterday to heal her cuts – she put down to his true good nature, that although he was emotionless, he was on the good trajectory, rather than the path his mother had chosen.

Rin was desperately trying to stave off a bout of self-pity and depression when there was a quick knock on the door.  
Hardly registering real life events, she didn't reply in time and the door opened and shut swiftly, and before her stood her husband.

Her breath literally caught in her throat and she coughed, which, added to her raspy dried throat sent her in to a bit of a coughing fit.  
Luckily she had a glass water on the bed side table and she grasped for it, trying to gulp it as elegantly as possible while she was trying not to die of self-asphyxiation. Oh God, she could die of embarrassment too.  
She recovered, and could not bring herself to look at the vision of brilliant immortality before her; all the bravery she had displayed in the halls of the Demon Mother quailed when she was faced with her husband alone.

As he wasn't saying anything, Rin had to – or she would just dissolve in to a pit of anxiety.

'Thank you for helping me out of your mother's place, I would've definitely got lost. I think I sort of lost my mind instead' her voice was almost as croaky as Jaken's.

Sesshomaru had not spoken first, as on his end, he was studying his little wife with a curious expression on his face.  
She had a cute little pj's on, and her hair was all over the place like a bush, and it still had some leaves in it. She looked pale as the moon and had bags under her eyes and overall looked like she needed two more days of sleep.  
Also, she was so unaware of herself, that she had no idea a couple of the buttons around her chest area had come undone, as the shirt was really too small for her, and a pretty pink nipple glimpsed through at times, her round breasts pushing defiantly against the fabric.

He had come to tell her something else, but he decided against it for now. All he said was:

'Rest, Rin'

He turned to go, but Rin's heart was bursting, as his voice had sounded so gentle for a moment.

'Please! – Don't leave – yet – Sesshomaru-sama' she shocked herself at how pitiful she sounded.

'I mean – you must be busy, of course – ' Rin tried to back track on her initial outburst of what she was really feeling.

Sesshomaru's eyes drilled her as he turned back slightly, and she dared to look up at him, her eyes melting like chocolate and her cheeks immediately reddening at how _hot_ he was, how piercing his gaze was that she felt he was studying her every crevice. She let out an involuntary lustful sigh.

'You aren't well' Sesshomaru said in an even tone.  
He took a few steps back towards her, and to Rin's nervous shock, he knelt down, with one claw so slightly tipping her chin upwards, his face so close to hers that her heart sped to an erratic desirous pounding, his darkened amber eyes staring in to her now hooded brown ones.  
He could hear her erratic heart-beat, and he was suddenly overwhelmed with the smell of her desire, her arousal, it was musky, sweet and salty. He could feel her warm breath on his face.  
His eyes widened slightly as his mouth filled with saliva and his own breathing became jagged; he quickly got up, almost pushing her away.

'Ses – Sesshomaru – ' Rin spoke his name without any formalities, and her temperature was soaring. She was in fact unwell, but she was also in severe need of the one she was in love with.

'Sesshomaru – y-you hate me so much? Yesterday – to your mother – ' she was nearly panting out her words, and if she knew how many things her demeanour and smell were doing to the Demon Dog, she would have fainted.  
Not to mention, he could never explain to her the real reason for his hate-filled words about Rin to his mother yesterday – only to ensure that Rin was not parted from him by some spell he could not break.

Rin's head ached at remembering the flashing red eyes that stripped her bare with disdain yesterday, and wondered why they seemed so deep and inwardly troubled now as they continued to study her. Her pink full nipple was permanently peeking through now and with her exhaustion, sleepiness, the drowsy euphoria the tablets gave her and her peaking desire for the Lord Sesshomaru who stood so enticingly before her, she could barely function.  
Finally Sesshomaru said something, as though it was torn from his soul.

'You. Trying to escape me with a filthy bargain.'  
His tone was deep and gruff, his nose and mouth filled with her heavy scent.

Rin's eyes widened, as much as they could with a banging headache. What on earth did he mean? He seemed to have wished her dead in her grave – and now here he was saying she had tried escaping him with her despairing bargain yesterday as her only way of freeing him? Did he not understand that she had been miserable?

' _Escape you_? I don't – under – understand – ' Rin continued to become more flustered as her husband only stared at her in a manner she couldn't stay still under.  
'I – I knew the letter had something to do with where you had gone – at the conference - you weren't there – '

'So you didn't stay away from there like I told you' Sesshomaru said in a low voice.

Rin's pleading eyes looked up at his pale inscrutable face, begging him to stop drilling her like a naughty child and to give her benefit of the doubt.  
'I had to – I couldn't wait around alone. And I knew it had to be your Mother, even though I couldn't understand why – she would be the only one powerful enough to hold you – '

Sesshomaru kept his unblinking gaze on her face, his actual thoughts quite far away to the topic of conversation. He began pacing slightly in front of her to try and distract his more unwelcome thoughts.  
He was not going to speak; he couldn't trust himself alone with her in the state she was in.  
Neither could he say how much she had surprised him by appearing before his terrifying mother all alone, and how he had just wanted to – to do _something_ \- as she had fought to stand upright in that awful throne room, covered in thorn scratches.  
At the moment, her croaky sleepy voice and her strong smell of desire were quickly becoming too much.  
He put her arousal down to her general haywire emotions and exhaustion, and in no way did he think it was because of him.

'It's over now' Sesshomaru grunted, waving a hand. 'You are not well, you must sleep more'  
He involuntarily raised a hand to pick a leaf from her hair with his claws.  
Rin blushed, taking it more as a criticism of her current appearance than the impulsive gesture it had really been.  
Juxtaposed against the perfection of her husband, she felt embarrassed and put her hands to her hair, realising how messy it was. She had no idea her dazed disordered appearance was getting under the Demon's skin too much for his liking.

'Oh dear I am so sorry, I'm a mess – ' she then realised the state of her breast and she went a very deep red, re-arranging it immediately, not knowing where to look.

Sesshomaru's eyes burned, but before he lost his mind, he took some steps backwards and said over his shoulder as he made to leave his wife;

'If you do wish to leave me so much, please don't bring it up in situations with my mother. It can be arranged privately. Rest before your flight this evening.'  
With that his golden gaze turned from her, and Rin was left without a chance to let him know how wrong his perception was; after all, wasn't _he_ the one who hated _her_?

The faintly perfumed yet arousing scent of Sesshomaru lingered and Rin groaned to herself.  
Why had he come to her room like that, alone, just to tell her off and order her around – make her feel uncomfortable, misunderstand her again, then leave so coldly?  
All while she now knew her breast had been poking out, making her feel even more like melting in to the ground.  
Rin's troubled spirit and hot body distracted her from her pain for a small while, and she quickly changed and decided to go and eat something as she was extremely hungry.  
Her emotions and her physical hunger combined to form a powerful appetite and she filled her plate.

Rin sat down, barely noticing that people gave her respectful bows as she passed, knowing her illustrious position as Sesshomaru's wife.  
She began eating, and neither did she really recognise that someone had sat down opposite her until she went to take a sip of her drink. Her eyes went wide as saucers when she saw who it was.

' _Kohaku_?' She rather inelegantly spluttered.

'Rin' Kohaku returned in greeting, tilting his head, not moving his dark eyes from her small pale face.

' _You_! Was it you who gave me that horrible letter for Sesshomaru?' Rin was angry and imperative, like a little firecracker.

Kohaku's gaze broke and he feigned a laugh, looking a little sketchy.  
'I had to, Rin. My employment was threatened otherwise' he sort of shrugged as though that would cover it.

Rin threw down her napkin, huffing.  
'You, bold without missing a beat, gave those papers to me and not even with a word of warning! Disgusting! Unfortunately for you, they didn't do a thing. Things are now moving ahead again after an interruption of a different sort. If you are so weak minded that you are willing to betray a friend because of an idle threat, I don't wish to associate with you further. I wish I had known more about Sesshomaru's business life before trusting you so much.'  
Rin glared at him, metaphorical steam coming out the top of her head.

Kohaku spread out his hands beseechingly, not wanting to lose this petal from his circle of friends.  
He did indeed hope to make her his once she realised for good that she would never be loved by her current husband.

'I-If the threat did nothing, then no damage, right? Rin – please listen – my job was at stake, my livelihood! I could have told you – but ears are everywhere these days! Please, forgive me! You know Sesshomaru can hardly be touched by most people, let alone a small letter – it was more meant as a slight disruption to his all-too smooth proceedings. Don't you know a lot of us will suffer from this merger? Not all gangs are bad, in fact a lot of them have connections to a lot of business, and we benefit each other! Sesshomaru has disregarded this and he is imprisoning a lot of our friends! You can imagine there is a lot of discontent!'

Rin scoffed silently.  
'You call criminals your friends? And who are these people who benefit you? Drug lords, arms dealers? Maybe even human traffickers? You keep bad company then Kohaku. Are you really the type of person who forgets morals if money is presented to you?'

Kohaku flinched at Rin's harsh questions and inferences.  
'The word 'criminal' is strong; perhaps, see it more as 'underground traders' – they have been chased by people like Sesshomaru ever since their business presented a real threat to the power of people like your husband – this is not right and wrong, my lady, if you forgive me being blunt, this is more just how business works – it's who can fight the best at staying on top. Sure, Sesshomaru is giving more money to the people – but at the end of it, the largess will slowly decrease as the number of investors decline – as they are being put behind bars'

Rin was not convinced at his clever wording.  
'Investors with money got from ill gain' she nearly spat. 'We are better off without that money, and the people are better off not having their taxes taken to be used for criminal activity, instead of it being given back to communities to build infrastructure and create work. You won't convince me much at all, old friend' she added sarcastically.

Kohaku eyes seemed a little slitted and darted from Rin's face to different areas around the dining room. He seemed to be thinking about something, and he slightly nodded to himself.

'Rin' he cleared his throat, folding his hands on the table in front of him. Rin watched his actions as she continued eating, content to distrust every word about to come from his mouth. She was merely entertained to hear what he thought would be a convincing story for her ears.

'I am sorry, wholeheartedly, for putting you in that position. I hated myself ever since. I betrayed you.'  
Rin looked down for a moment. He did sound very sincere.  
'But Sesshomaru is not the simple man you believe him to be. As I said, there is no right and wrong in the business world. The latest news that has reached us, is – ' he lowered his voice considerably and put a hand to his mouth ' – not long ago, one of our top associates was murdered' he let that sit for a moment.

'Sesshomaru did it?' Rin asked calmly. Kohaku nodded. Of course, he spoke of Naraku.

'I am sure he had his reasons' Rin said, in a considered tone. 'I know he kills people sometimes. I have lived with him all my life Kohaku. Killing can be a good thing when it is done in a just way. Especially if by 'associate' you mean 'criminal'.'

'That is not all!' Kohaku was desperately peddling by now. 'Excuse my words; but I had to tell you what I just got wind of myself. Did you know he has a mistress?'

Now this statement made Rin lose all colour in her cheeks. She felt immediately sick.  
'How do you know this?' Her voice remained soft and even. Her appetite had disappeared.

Kohaku softened his voice, feeling as though he had got an 'in'.

'He only uses her services when he leaves his manor and travels here for business. Pardon me, but of course we have often talked about his neglect of you – in _that_ area in particular. A man of his stature does not just go without, or were you that naïve?'

Rin wanted to get up and leave, but she felt as though her body was a dead weight. She felt like all the food she had just eaten needed to come out, and her headache returned. Kohaku saw by Rin's paled face and clumsy dropping of her cutlery that she was vulnerable.

'I don't know the woman's name – or of what relation she is to Sesshomaru – but I believe she has hair similar to yours, and she is a little taller and thinner. You may be able to track her down – I am happy to help you if you like – to prove that I am not lying to you. I didn't want to tell you here – but it seemed like you wanted to cut off all contact with me and I would have no chance of alerting you – '

Rin held up a hand, her other hand to her mouth, eyes closed.

'Please, no more. I will find out if this is true on my own. You can never win my trust again Kohaku, but I will be civil. You are still invited to the celebration on the 12th, but I have one thing to ask of you. Could you find this woman, if she exists, and bring her as a plus-one?'

Kohaku inwardly glorified. 'I will do my best' he said to Rin gravely, looking in to her eyes.  
'On the 12th, you will see her for yourself. Then you can observe how your husband interacts.'

Rin watched silently as Kohaku got up, bowed, and left. She slowly re-arranged her plate and cutlery, and finished her drink. Then she rose and walked calmly back to her room.  
She opened the door, and closed it.  
On the other side, in the silence of the hotel room, Rin doubled over, her face broken up with pouring hot tears, and gasping silent sobs torn from the depths of her heart. It was a brief episode of grief, despair and heart break that she was too angry to indulge in for long.  
She eventually got up to quietly walk to the bathroom, where she began applying make-up.  
She spent some laborious time over her face, and ended up looking a lot more done up than she had done for a while.  
She changed her clothes to the last fresh outfit she had packed and tossed the demure business attire aside that had been laid out for her on her arrival.  
It was a smart casual black dress that was quite short, cinched in at the waist, but came up to her neck with a cute peter pan collar that matched cuffs at the sleeves that went down to her elbows.  
She usually tied her hair back, but today she brushed it thoroughly and left it out to spill around her shoulders. She ended up looking like a beautiful little doll, with the attractive twist of the bared pale legs in the heels she had brought (in case there was an event).  
Appearance was important today.

Rin was not leaving this evening, as her husband had said.  
For one, she knew she was not well. For two, she had barely digested the past days events. And for three, she was engulfed by a rage and hurt that banished her usual little girl bashfulness when she thought of the dog demon.  
She expelled the picture of his burning yellow eyes that had branded in her brain till now.  
She now rationalised his 'kind' actions – rescuing her, giving her the puppy, as guilt offerings.

Her heart felt as though Kohaku was right. That there was someone her husband kept 'company' with. Rin felt undone. When so often she would lay awake at night longing for her husband with a burning desire, keeping herself untouched by anyone else – when he was with someone else.  
It had pained her deeply for long enough – and if this was indeed true – she hardly knew what she would do.  
She checked herself, reminding herself that she could hardly be angry – from the point of view that she was under no illusions as to his complete indifference bordering on disdain that he felt towards her.  
At the same time, she couldn't act on her initial emotions until she had proof.

The big announcement was finally made that afternoon.  
Rin had seated herself next to the red-headed secretary up the front; it was their first time seeing each other after the incident at the Demon Mother's castle.  
Word had got around that it was the wife of the Demon Lord who had brought Sesshomaru back from an unknown threat.  
Rin was eyed with new interest by many people when she walked in to the room, not to mention her appearance caught the attention of quite a few people regardless. She didn't look as mousy as she usually did, but more like a model that had ticked all the right boxes but only failed the height and breast/waist ratio test.

Up on the platform was the Demon Lord.  
He had begun speaking without an announcer this time.  
He kept his dialogue smooth and uninterrupted, but his eyes had followed his little wife the whole time around the room, breaking his gaze only occasionally.  
He smelt something different about her, as he zeroed his senses in on her among the bustling room, which was now filled with even more members of the press after the interesting diversion of events that caused the conference to be delayed.

He almost couldn't decipher Rin's scent – it was different, and she seemed surrounded by a haze his usually acute senses could penetrate.  
He could also smell the desire in men who were discreetly looking at her.  
She had been whispering to Chiaki, but now her large brown eyes, even more enlarged by her makeup, turned confidently back to him as he continued speaking.  
Journalists were writing notes fervently, and others were leaning forward, listening intently. But Rin was seated normally, hands folded in front of her restfully, and Sesshomaru stared in to her eyes from where he stood.  
She didn't even faintly blush like she usually did.  
She returned his gaze, like she was a stranger.  
Sesshomaru eventually shifted his eyes seamlessly from his wife's face to a more general direction.  
Not many seconds passed before his gaze swung back round to Rin, she was softly giggling to herself as Chiaki was whispering something in her ear. There had been an empty seat next to Rin, strangely enough.  
Sesshomaru looked up again, to see Kohaku walk down the room, to take a seat next to Rin.  
Continuing his speech fluidly, the Demon Lord enigmatically watched Rin, and he watched as Kohaku whispered in his wife's ear, and Rin's now stern face nodded briefly in reply.  
Sesshomaru had been able to hear what Kohaku had said, it was just 'Sorry I'm late'.  
The dog demon remained stoic as ever.

The speech finished after 45 minutes, and then the press asked their questions.  
Sesshomaru answered their questions one by one, watching as Rin left with Chiaki, and saw how Kohaku looked after her as she walked away before he went in another direction.

Rin and Chiaki had walked out arm-in-arm, catching up avidly on what had happened yesterday.  
Apparently Chiaki and the others had indeed been ambushed, but the situation was dissipated quickly and they had all left when they saw the Demon Lord disappear in to the air in a flash of light.

Rin's strange emotions following the inference that Sesshomaru may have a lover caused her to push past her under-the-weather health and endow her with an unusual energy.  
Rin's queer demeanour had not exactly gone past Chiaki either, but she had not brought it up yet.

'You were very brave Rin' the secretary said after she had heard Rin's story 'I am sure Lord Sesshomaru respects you for what you did'  
Rin only scoffed 'Oh I only did what anyone else would in my position'  
Chiaki smiled wryly.  
'Mm' she said, 'not 'anyone else' is at all cut out for being the wife of a Dog Demon.'  
Rin blushed, but she just laughed, waving her hand.  
'I'm sure there's plenty lined up who wished I was dead.'  
'He does have a lot of fans' Chiaki mused, looking at Rin with veiled scrutiny. 'But I am not talking mere attraction. Of course he is stunning to look at and many people want him. I speak of spiritual connection and fortitude. You need a lot of that to put up with him and not many people these days have it. You are the only one with such long history with him.'

Rin merely laughed again, and became distracted by the many cafes they had to choose from. Eventually the sat down in a charming place in a window seat in a private room.

'Wine?' Chiaki suggested.  
Rin nodded her head 'A bottle of sake would be wonderful'  
'Bottle? Aren't you flying out in a couple of hours? It may make you sick.'  
'Oh no I'm not flying out' Rin said calmly, smiling.  
Chiaki raised her brow in question.  
'I want to stay and learn more of Sesshomaru-sama's business world' Rin picked up the menu and chose a small cake from there, and Chiaki beckoned the waiter.

They ordered, and Chiaki continued:  
'I see. I do understand. I don't know what Sesshomaru will say'  
'I don't care what he says' Rin said blithely, wondering why Chiaki was giving her a 'look'.

'Do you tell this to everyone you meet so brazenly?' A smooth deep voice cut in.

Rin started and looked up, meeting her husband's cold copper coloured regard.

Chiaki was inwardly laughing however; Sesshomaru had heard himself confidently insulted by a pretty little woman – probably something that did not happen very often at all. Most women swooned over him.

'No' Rin answered quite honestly, wondering why he was here.  
He had changed from a suit in to an open neck shirt and dark jeans.

'May I sit next to you?' Sesshomaru continued staring in to his wife's very strangely expressionless eyes. Where was her usual softness?

'Of course' Rin shifted across to the furthest part of the seat she could.  
Chiaki observed everything very closely and made her own deductions including the knowledge of Rin and Kohaku's continued friendship.

'We already ordered' Chiaki said to her employer. 'Would you like anything?'

Sesshomaru was intently focused on everything about his little wife, but he appeared quite relaxed and removed as usual.

'A Macallan shot with coffee' Sesshomaru told the waiter when they came with Rin and Chiaki's order.  
The connection of his order was not lost on Rin, but she made no sign.  
She was happy she could focus on eating and drinking, not caring what Sesshomaru thought of her ordering a bottle of wine.

Rin had avoided her husband's gaze the whole time, instead engaging in lively conversation with Chiaki.  
She did notice how many other people were looking at the striking demon lord who sat silently next to her.  
They could have him, she thought to herself.  
She couldn't ignore that Sesshomaru had placed two tablets in front of her. Rin broke off her conversation with Chiaki to briefly glance at the dog demon.  
'What are those for?' She recognised her prescription pills. Had he gone in to her room in her absence? Or had he bought more, knowing exactly what they were off the top of his head? Not crediting him with remembering such a trifling little bit of information about herself, she went with the first answer.

'You are sick, yet you refused to rest as I said. Take these'

Rin felt immediately angered by his response.

'I'm not always going to do what you say'

Sesshomaru's lips pulled in to a grimly humoured expression.  
'And so you were telling my secretary'

Chiaki cut in 'I didn't know you were unwell Rin! You look so energized!'

Rin laughed 'it's fine! It's nothing' she smiled, ignoring the pills.  
The truth was, her headache had progressed to the first stages of a migraine. But she was too filled with many emotions to back down.

Sesshomaru merely narrowed his eyes.

'You are still speaking with Kohaku'. He watched his little wife closely as he stated this, and finally won a returning gaze from her pretty face. He had to keep down his anger at both his wife and Kohaku.

'Yes' was all she said in reply, in quite a defiant tone, candidly returning her husband's regard.

'Isn't he a snake?' Chiaki inquired, breaking in to the growing intensity of the atmosphere between the couple in front of her.

Sesshomaru glanced at Chiaki, returning his studied attention to his wife as she sipped from her third glass of wine.

'Yes, he is' he stated 'and Rin knows that better than anyone'

Chiaki looked at Rin, looking slowly back and forth between the two.

'I see. I believe Rin would have her reasons for keeping in contact with him.'

Sesshomaru had to restrain a guttural growl from the back of his throat.

'Does she?' He asked, his tone more decisively cold than before, turning Chiaki's statement in to a question for his wife.

Rin was not going to hide anything. She was not the one who hid things.

'I do' she said, sipping her wine and eating the last of her cake. She licked two of her fingers, and Sesshomaru watched as her pink wet tongue left saliva on her finger tips.  
'He may have betrayed me. It doesn't mean I will ever trust him again, but it also doesn't mean I wish to stop associating with him.'

Chiaki saw Sesshomaru's knuckles whitening as he gripped his glass.  
She excused herself discreetly to the bathroom.

'What do you think you're doing, Rin?'  
Sesshomaru all but growled 'you know he is a traitor now. Before I excused your ignorance. But now – are you so determined to undermine me? I hear of you telling people of how you disrespect my word – then you openly ally yourself with a known enemy'

Rin finished her glass of wine.  
To tell the truth, she was glad he was upset. It was high time he felt undermined by the thing he tried to control too much.  
If he was keeping a lover, Rin was going to take great pleasure in angering him as much as she could.

She turned to face him in a swift movement, her face showing her upset, but her tone kept to a perfectly civil manner considering their surroundings.

'When are you going to stop talking down to me like a child? Leave me to do as I wish, I know my own mind. I have nothing to hide'  
Rin turned to pour another glass, but Sesshomaru caught her hand as she raised it, holding it back. She had such tiny, warm little hands. Rin merely sat there unresponsive to his physical touch.

Sesshomaru let her hand go abruptly when he saw he could not affect her in any way.  
Her scent was dull; his subconscious mind letting him know he longed to smell her desire as he usually did.

He was so close to her, but she seemed in another world to him at the moment.  
When did she become so untouchable?  
He had no idea she had a cold rage inside of her.  
It seemed unreasoning without proof of what she suspected, but all her other hurt feelings from the past were combined in to the one.  
It was incredible to her that she was not quivering and blushing with her husband so close, so near her face and body.  
It was new to her and it gave her a strange sense of power.

'I know what you think of me' Sesshomaru said in a very low voice 'but you have to believe everything I ask of you is for your good and not your harm.'

Rin shook her head silently. He did not understand. He never even asked, he only ever demanded.

'Rin' he tried to get her attention away from the wine. 'Do you wish to leave me?'

He had posed the question so casually, so seriously, that Rin did feel her heart stop a moment. Was her coldness giving him that impression? He really was stupid if that was the case.

Some colour rose to her cheeks and she said in a slightly choked voice, unable to look at him, 'You left me for a year and even after that I chose to return to you and marry you'

Sesshomaru wondered what she meant. She had merely stated something he already knew.

'If you wish to leave, it can be done immediately' he repeated.

Rin was so angry and upset that he was going on in this manner that she had no words. She wanted to slap his alabaster face and scream at him. For some reason, she found herself saying:

'Not until a month is over. Give me time' her voice was so empty and stripped of anything that made her Rin that Sesshomaru's eyes widened, and even bled red.  
He fought to re-gather himself.  
He finally stood after some pregnant silent moments, bowed to her, then left with a stride so swift he disappeared within a flash.

Chiaki had actually waited to see what transpired. She watched Rin for a small moment, and saw that little woman go from tense and taut to bent and her face in her hands.  
The wise secretary went up to her then and sat opposite. Rin dried her eyes quickly.

'We are divorcing' was all Rin could say in a breaking voice.

'What?' Even Chiaki was not expecting that – it was very unlike Sesshomaru to agree to something so drastic so rashly.

Rin poured another glass of wine.

'Do not tell this to him, please' Rin looked at Chiaki as she continued 'I'm only talking with Kohaku because he said that my husb- Lord Sesshomaru – has a lover. He is finding the actual proof for me. I told Sesshomaru to not file until a month's time. I have a party planned for the 12th, which is when Kohaku is bringing the lover to our house for me to observe. I can't see it not being true.'

Chiaki had a very troubled expression on her face and she put a hand to the side of her face as she thought.

'Now, I am going to be abrupt' Chiaki warned 'but has Lord Sesshomaru ever had sex with you? I don't mean even touching or foreplay – but intercourse.'

Rin went deep red. 'Nothing' she whispered.

Chiaki merely nodded, she had already guessed this.  
'Well, I can't say yes or no when it comes to whether Lord Sesshomaru has a lover. I hadn't thought so. But he is a demon after all, and known for their sexual and deviant appetites. I thought you were heart-broken over something. I can say, that Sesshomaru is an honourable person as far as I know. But you have known him all your life. The answer is also in your heart Rin'

'Oh Chiaki' Rin began sobbing 'I know I only met you this week – but I feel you are the only one close to understanding this. I can't tell anyone – I haven't admitted it to anyone but myself.  
I love him! I love him so dearly, it tears me to pieces every moment I breath – it hurts more than I can bear – '  
Rin was properly crying now, in a silent, deeply despairing way.  
Chiaki was truly moved, and tears of her own dropped down her cheeks.

'Oh dear' said the older woman softly, her empathy overflowing 'you poor darling'.  
She could only stroke the pretty little woman's head as Rin cried on to the table top, while Chiaki thought to herself.  
She shook her head as she thought of how deaf, dumb and blind the dog demon was. If it was found he did have a lover, Chiaki would be the first to shred him to pieces for heartlessly destroying this precious young thing broken before her.


	9. Chapter 9

_Here I stand, helpless and left for dead  
Close your eyes, so many days go by  
Easy to find what's wrong  
Harder to find what's right_

 _I believe in you, I can show you that  
I can see right through all your empty lies  
I won't stay long, in this world so wrong_

 _Say goodbye, as we dance with the devil tonight  
Don't you dare look at him in the eye  
As we dance with the devil tonight_

 _Trembling, crawling across my skin  
Feeling your cold dead eyes  
Stealing the life of mine_

 _Say goodbye, as we dance with the devil tonight  
Don't you dare look at him in the eye  
As we dance with the devil tonight_

 _Goodbye_

Chiaki was sitting on her bed at home while her husband Kei began changing in to home clothes after the very busy day.

'I don't know what to do for them, dear' Chiaki was saying to him as she sipped on a glass of red wine, once she had told him every detail of what she had witnessed between Sesshomaru and Rin that day.

'You can't do much' Kei sighed, putting on his dressing gown.

'You know, the Boss talks to Rin more than anyone, even in public.  
He is usually so withdrawn and silent – even in the most stressful situations.  
But when she is around – it's like all his emotions come out – well, as much as he can show.  
I think she really is special. Not many people can stand up to Sesshomaru like Rin can, or control and provoke him so much.  
I think this whole divorce things is wrong, and very out of character for Sesshomaru.  
He never breaks an agreement – especially one as sacred as a marriage.  
And I do not think I am mistaken when I say he loves her. I can't make it out.'

Kei glanced at his wife, wishing she would stop talking about the topic. He wanted to do other things….  
But being the loving husband he was, he humoured her.

'Maybe he doesn't think he is good enough for her' Kei suggested.

Chiaki frowned 'no, surely not! If anyone has a sense of albeit justified self-love, it'd be the Boss'

'You'd be surprised' Kei said wryly. 'Even for a demon, if he loves her, he will feel he doesn't deserve her'

He then began kissing his wife's neck, and though Chiaki's mind was running haywire on her husband's suggestion, she couldn't push him away. She would put her mind more seriously to the problem later…. She really had grown a soft spot for the Demon's wife, and it had genuinely troubled her when the little woman had broken down in front of her.

Rin had decided that she wanted to go home after all; she was glad she hadn't cancelled her flight. She had been on her way back to her room when she came across the tall figure of Sesshomaru, who had apparently been waiting for her in the hall outside her room.  
After her outburst to Chiaki in the restaurant, Rin didn't know how much longer she could see him face to face and remain normal.

'I have cancelled your flight' her husband told her, his stern gaze pinning her to the spot.

Rin flushed, upset. 'I was about to pack – I wanted to leave'

So she hated his company that much; - even with a divorce date set for a month's time, she still wanted to get away from him. He cursed inwardly.

'I couldn't let you leave yet. I have someone special for you to meet; - there hasn't been time except for now.'

In the background, a television ran through the news. The reporters were announcing Naraku's arrest. Kohaku had been given slightly false information – Sesshomaru had _almost_ killed the bastard, but not quite.

Rin could hardly believe how shamelessly her husband seemed to be referring to his mistress. Who else would he ever refer to as 'someone special?'

Rin's pretty eyes clouded over darkly and she looked up in to his face, silent.  
She wasn't sure if it was the light of the television reflecting in them or not; but her husband's lava eyes seemed to flicker.  
When he spoke next, it seemed to be with some difficulty.

'If you – if you would like to meet with me in the foyer at 7 – I will be waiting for you'.

Rin was shocked at the lack of demanding in his request. It hardly mattered though, as she was angry he had so autocratically cancelled her flight without even referring to her.  
Still, she watched his retreating figure and remembered a time when she would follow that back with the swaying silver hair blindly, filled with a love that was as whole heartedly innocent as it was strong.

Rin's resolve was to refuse to go down stairs to find who this 'someone special' was. She was exhausted anyway, and the first thing she did when she went in to her room was to lie on the bed for a rest. Once her eyes closed however, she didn't wake up until around 10 the next day.

 _Down in the foyer, Sesshomaru waited with a lady who seemed to be young; she was tall and slim, with waist length dark brown hair with hints of red-gold.  
It had gone 7:15. _

' _Is she coming?' The lady asked the royal demon with some nervousness. Sesshomaru merely stared at the lift where Rin should be coming from. By the time it was nearly 8pm and the lady was getting very restless, the Demon Lord turned sharply, his hair swaying like a moonlit curtain, and walked out in to the night with the lady next to him._

Rin was angry at herself that the first thing she felt the next day was guilt and regret at having not met her husband, and she had to work hard to tell herself it was really nothing.  
She rolled around in bed for a few minutes trying to wake up, and decided she really needed a shower in order to feel slightly awake.

She wondered when she would fly out, hating the claustrophobic feeling she was getting from not being able to decide things on her own.  
It then occurred to her, for some reason for the first time – that Sesshomaru did everything for her and paid for it too.  
Maybe, if she had a job and some money, he might not feel like he could order her around so much and she could do as she wished.

Despite everything, Rin began to feel a sense of deep shame.  
She did owe Sesshomaru a lot.  
Even though he was all she really knew – having gone from child to teen to wife all with him – she had to remember that the way they met was akin to a god reviving a dead rat – he had let her follow him, and never told her to leave, but always let her make up her own mind in that sense.  
Maybe that was another reason why he talked down to her as was his habit with everyone else - because she accepted him over and over in that form – he always gave her leeway to leave him but she chose to stay.  
Perhaps – maybe it was unfair of her to try and change him.  
She was also just becoming more aware of herself as a person instead of as a follower.  
Rin wanted his love more and more every day – yet he treated her the same as he had since they were married.  
Nothing changed on his end, though she had grown rapidly physically and emotionally.  
Perhaps this was the curse of a demon and human relationship; one already knowing everything, the other learning everything, growing, changing – then dying, just as the demon knew all along.  
Rin knew she could not put up with a life lead in this way for much longer.  
She would always love him – but some things were better left unpractised in reality.

Rin decided when she went home she would look for work and earn some money to do her own things. She would no longer accept the state allowance she received from her husband's largess.

If they were to divorce in a month's time too – she would definitely need her own money to move forward.  
She would have to start packing when she got home – so many of her things were a part of Sesshomaru's household by now she would have a hard time of it remembering what was actually hers. Then she would have to somehow tell the maids who she felt very fond of, that she was leaving and would no longer be the wife of the Demon Lord.  
She would no more go down to talk to them in the mornings as she helped them with the household tasks or give left overs to less fortunate people. She would have to say farewell to the families in the nearby village.  
Nor would she be able to walk in the cool of the evening with the green grass crisp under her feet. Oh! There was Pepper too – she wouldn't have the heart to bring him with her, as the adorable thing had been Sesshomaru's gift to her, yet how did she have the heart to leave him behind? Having to watch his cute wagging tail slow and drop when the little dog realised his owner wasn't coming back, his happy panting turning to whimpers.  
She wondered what Jaken would say.  
He would probably be happy; Rin smiled to herself.  
And finally Rin dared to wonder what Sesshomaru would be like at the last moment; - would he just stare, emotionless, as he usually did? Would he be absent? It was telling that Rin didn't even know how her own husband would react if she left him forever. That fact alone told her she had made the right decision.  
Rin let out a shuddering sigh and tasted something salty on her face. Was she crying? She raised a hand to her cheek, feeling wetness there. She was crying.

The more she thought about – the long, drawn out farewell and packing having to face Sesshomaru at times during the horrible process - Rin knew she couldn't extend the idea of a divorce any longer and look Sesshomaru in the eye. She loved him, but he didn't love or want her - even to the point of sleeping with other women.  
Why couldn't he even touch her without soon having to recoil like he'd been stung? Why – if he did have strong urges – could he just not come to her, his own wife, to relieve them – even if he didn't love her?  
She felt humiliated, baffled and deeply hurt.  
Maybe it was best she slipped away now to start anew, anonymous and with a clean slate. Leave everything at the manor and maybe get one of the maids to post some of her belongings to her.  
Rin did have a few friends she could stay with while she found a place.  
Maybe now, while she was stuck at this hotel, would be a good time to go – there would be no trace of her.

So desperate was Rin to get away from Sesshomaru and all the desire, pain, lust, frustration, pulsating love and anger he made her feel, that she began to go through with her plan.  
With her mobile she rang her friend Kagura who lived in a small town on the outskirts of Sendai, nice and far from anything to do with her former life; – Sesshomaru.

Kagura answered, to Rin's relief, and she just asked if she could come and stay for a few days. Rin would tell her the true story when she was there.  
Kagura agreed to it, rather excitedly, but warned that her boyfriend as also staying with her if Rin would be ok with it.  
Feeling a heady rush of daring, broken heartedness and unknown adventure, Rin said she would be there in about two or three days' time.  
First, she had to apply for an immediate loan, which she knew she would be granted in her current, but fast expiring, position in society.

With a jolt, Rin remembered the party she had set for the 12th and cursed. Damn! She quickly re-thought her plans and decided she would have to tell Sesshomaru that she was just going to her friends place for a couple of weeks, but that she would be 'back' for the party that he had no idea about (that part she wouldn't mention to him of course) – as the invites had already been sent out there was nothing she could do.  
She would appear for the party, and Sesshomaru, if he had any room in his thoughts for her at all, may or may not think she was back from a holiday and staying from then on after all. In reality, Rin would have to make another painful internal goodbye and slip away in the midst of the ball, like some sort of sad, twisted, tragic love story.

Sesshomaru had naturally been extremely busy.  
The merger, being successful, was yet to play out all of its aftermath, and the unhappy parties were quick to move to action. They began with smear campaigns that went along the lines of 'Big Business Mogul Destroying Small Party Freedom' and the like; pure semantics which in reality translated to 'Money Returning to Communities from the Hand of A Business Mogul while Political Criminals are Imprisoned.'

The press was still rabidly covering all the past weeks ground breaking events and hot news, while magazines were blowing up the phones wanting the Demon Lord to pose for their covers again.  
He had done so once many years ago and they had sold like hot cakes.

Rin had actually bought them all and hidden them in her room, all that time ago.  
She would never ever admit it, but she used to bring them out to dream over in her younger days, imagining those still-captured amber eyes to be fixed on her in such an intense gaze. He seemed almost beckoning in some of his poses – an expression always wholly unfamiliar to her then or now.  
She used to idly wonder if it had been the photographer's direction, the lighting, the camera angle, or Sesshomaru himself who had decided to shoot that smouldering golden gaze down the lens.

All the calls were handled by a team of clerks who filed all the messages and made the necessary appointments.

One of the things Sesshomaru did in the preceding days was to go to the police station where Naraku was being held to have a 'private meeting' with him.

Naraku was still in a very weakened state from his previous encounter with the Demon Lord, and he spat on the ground when the royal dog strode in to the room.

'An honour' snarled the disgraced creature.

Sesshomaru ignored the miscreant's blatant disrespect and merely proceeded to slice an opening in dimensions with his claws right next to Naraku's prison cell. Sesshomaru briefly stepped in to the void he had created, and returned almost immediately, bringing with him a hell hound chained by the neck that was four times the size of the Dog Demon, but thoroughly tamed by him.

'This son of Cerberus will ensure your fate behind bars. Over this human jail is a prison in the nether-realm from where you come from; be assured those bars will never break, even if you or anyone else destroys this flimsy human cage' Sesshomaru chained the hound to the bars of the prison and left Naraku screeching curses at his retreating back.

The Prince of the Dog Demons got business done without fuss, and did it quickly, even in the netherworld.

The police in the station fell silent as Sesshomaru passed, all of them shivered and eyed the Demon Lord with fear, misgiving and curiosity as he walked from the place with the calm face of an infinitely superior being.  
When he had left, the office began its usual bustle again, but not without some comments.

'It's still not natural, a being like that walking around'

'He has single handedly cleared up a lot of crime for us' another countered.

'But who knows, in their timeless existence, what evil a demon has wrought that would merit a thousand times the sentencing of the people he has chased down'

'I hear he has a human wife' one of the receptionists interjected. 'Demon or not, he's one of the spunkiest men I've ever seen. Lucky woman.'

The suspicious officer grimaced, looking dark.  
'If my daughter were to take up with something like – _that_ – I'd kill it, or die trying. For all we know, the poor woman could be enslaved, bewitched – or worse. Her soul could be in his eternal keeping. No one knows what really goes on in the mind and heart of a demon.'

At that moment, they all heard a terrifying howl from the lower levels where some of the worse prisoners were confined before they were assigned to maximum level sites in the country.  
Three of them started up, the others cowered; all of them had all their hairs standing on end.

'Shall we go and check?'  
'Go, _go_!' Urged another, frustrated with their hesitancy.  
'What did that cursed demon do?' spluttered the same one who vowed to kill any demon who took his daughter.

They ran to the level where the noise had issued from, and they saw Naraku still on the ground, all his clothing seeped through with dark red blood, his face unrecognisably mutilated.

'Dead' the fearless officer grunted.  
'The demon killed him! Surely that howl was from the bowels of hell itself!' The outraged older officer shook to his jowls.  
'And will it be you to apprehend and arrest Lord Sesshomaru?' the third officer challenged.  
None answered.

It was written up the next day as a 'cell suicide' and not even the press was communicated with for fear of the Demon's retribution.

The son of Cerberus had not found Naraku fit for a second chance in the human realm. 

Meanwhile, Rin had to try and find a window of time that Sesshomaru would be free so she could let him know what was happening. She was walking out of the building to find some food that was different from the same hotel fare, and as she looked up when she exited the lift she caught sight of her husband walking across the polished ebony floor nearer to the line of massive spinning door entrances, at quite some distance away. Immediately, her body reacted with an erratic heart rate to her perturbation.  
The only trouble with approaching him was that the Demon was with someone – from what Rin could see, - a lady, with long brown hair - even from a distance, decidedly attractive. Rin's mind then made the connection and her face went white, even to her lips.

There she was. There was the woman Kohaku had spoken of, walking with her husband, in broad daylight.

The first thing Rin wanted to do was go up to them and scream at them both till her lungs bled and her voice fell mute.  
Instead, she stood stock still in silence as the lift quickly refilled with people, and the doors began to close.

Just before they shut, Rin could have sworn at that moment that the piercing yellow eyes of the Dog Prince lifted like a shaft of burning light and looked right at her from far across the noisy bustling room, for all but a split second that stood still, smouldering, as though a blade of hot ice had pierced her soul.  
The lift closed - and ascended.  
Rin had lost her appetite completely.

' _Excuse me' Sesshomaru left the brown haired lady to go ahead, as he made a sudden side cut through the crowd to go straight for the lift where his wife had just been._

There was the proof. It was true.

Rin sat, feeling like an empty shell, all alone, on the bed, her eyes vacant.

Her bedroom door opened and closed.  
Rin's gaze met the golden-furnace eyes of the Demon and she wondered if he had teleported to her room, or appeared as though her thoughts had materialised.

'Why didn't you meet me?'

Rin's ears betrayed her as they turned red, recognising the distinctive voice of the man she loved despite herself.

'I – I'd fallen asleep' Rin's voice sounded so small to her ears, she wondered if it was audible.  
But of course, that would not be an issue for the Dog Demon if it was or not.

'Will you meet me tonight?' He asked.

Rin couldn't believe he was pressing the issue; how much more could he torture her so brazenly? She had just seen the woman for herself, and he was still so keen to shove his mistress in her face? She felt disgusted.

'I am leaving tomorrow night' Rin ignored his query.

Sesshomaru made no sign. He was stock still, as eternally still as a supernatural creature could be; humans twitched and swayed, but a demon could be more motionless than a cat on the prowl.

The air seemed to gain some electric static and the Demon's eyes were a shade of pale yellow, the pupils pin pricks as they stared in to his wife's eyes.

'I plan on coming back in a few weeks' even though Rin had planned to say nothing for as long as Sesshomaru did, she was even more unnerved by the type of silence that now hung in the air. It seemed almost ominous. Rin began to feel quite uncomfortable, a feeling she had not ever felt around the Demon Lord.

Eventually, Sesshomaru said in a strange, quiet voice:  
'Take Chiaki with you'

'No' Rin immediately shook her head 'I don't want anything to do with you near me'

The words sounded like the slap to the face they were. The little woman sounded so cold, so decided, that there was no rebuking her.

Rin looked so tiny on the huge bed she was sitting on, she looked worn and as though she had being wrung out.

Sesshomaru robotically reached in to his inner pocket. He withdrew a credit card and dropped it on the floor.

'Take that. You have no money; you cannot refuse'

The electric atmosphere sparked around her as she shook her head, almost sadly, again.

'I have a loan' she said softly, telling herself it wasn't a lie, technically. She had planned on going to collect it tomorrow first thing.

The reality of everything was hitting her. Sesshomaru was strange about it, but he did not seem angry, or like he was going to dissuade her. It made it easier. There was no rage, or demands. He was just letting her go.

Rin lifted her eyes to meet the Demon's. The image of that other woman flashed in her mind, and she did not tear her gaze from his powerful aura, which emanated from the amber windows to his soul.

'Good bye, for now' Rin said, in a small matter-of-fact voice. She didn't move.  
She had begun cutting the ties within her heart, and she was bleeding inwardly.

Sesshomaru looked down for a moment, then turned on his heel and left.


	10. Chapter 10

Hini! This one is for you, as I can't reply to your messages I will dedicate a chapter to you :)

Again massive apologies for the delay, I had a nice chunky chapter 10 to post on time and my computer crashed ? so until now I have brought myself to re write it all on my phone; thank you all again for your beautiful messages they honestly motivate me so _much_ to keep writing! Hope you enjoy this one and apologies for any typos due to the uncomfortable nature of writing via phone! x

' _I have a strange feeling in regard to you._

 _As if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly knotted to a similar string in you._

 _And if you were to leave I'm afraid that cord of communion would snap, and I have a notion I would take to bleeding inwardly._

 _As for you - you'd forget me.'_

 _Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte_

Rin easily got the loan she had needed, and on her way back to the hotel she was working hard on suppressing despondent emotions to make way for the excitement of seeing her old friend and starting somewhere fresh, away from the person who - though she loved him with all her heart - was slowly destroying her.

Chiaki came across her in the foyer, as though she had been looking out for her. Rin had briefly told Chiaki that she was leaving for a few weeks, but returning for a party - the wise secretary had seen through Rin's words and knew the Demon's little wife was leaving for good.

'Rin my dear' she said, putting a hand on her arm, 'I understand what you're doing. I thought it through myself; Sesshomaru is far too set in his ways, and has been for millenia for even the heart ache of someone he doesn't realise how deeply he loves to change him too much, though you have made changes in him that others see though you may not. Best of luck.'

Rin frowned. 'He doesn't love me Chiaki - Lord Sesshomaru doesn't love anybody.'

Chiaki only smiled, then hugged the girl briefly but tightly, sneakily dropping her number on a piece of paper in Rins hand bag as she did so.

Rin did not see Sesshomaru in between packing the minimal things she had bought with her to the hotel, to the taxi, or to the airport.

Nor did he appear on the plane, or in the airport on the other side of her destination. She looked up at the ID check almost expecting molten honey eyes to be looking appraisingly at her across the desk, but it was just a normal officer, who with an experienced quick stare let her through the gate.

Kagura was busy at work that day, so her boyfriend, Sadao, had been kind enough to offer to meet Rin at the airport; Kagura had told Rin Sadao's brief appearance so she could recognise him more easily - he was medium height with dark medium length hair and light coloured eyes - and that he wore plain jeans with sneakers, a white shirt with a cardigan over the top, with a scarf and gloves. Apparently he was the sort of person who was always cold.

Rin kept her eye out and thankfully when she exited the security check she spotted just the sort of demure, modest guy she did not expect Kagura to go for - sure enough he was wearing exactly what her friend had described. Sadao smiled a wide, toothy grin as soon as he saw Rin and waved enthusiastically. Rin came up to him and saw he had already collected her luggage.

'Thank you so much for meeting me' Rin said, returning his bow.

She wondered briefly how Kagura had described Rin to Sadao, but he took off chatting to her carrying all her luggage, and he seemed to cover all topics from flight engineering to the benefits of solar power in the time it took for them to reach his car.

He didn't stop there; once they were in the car and driving through the rush hour traffic, he continued his stream of well informed if unexpected conversation, and so all Rin was required to do was give some appropriately placed 'hm's' and fascinated 'ah's' whenever he paused for her appreciative reactions.

Having been enlightened on the true reason for terrorism and why the ruling elite were all corrupt cult leaders, Rin decided to ask him what he did for a living once she could get a word in edge ways.

In many ways, Sadao's incessant talking did a lot to take Rins mind off the ache in her soul, and what he was talking about did spark a lot of her interest. There was a sense within her that she had been trying to ignore, that she was being greatly pulled from within, as though she was denying an animal magnetic connection that existed within the universe - she felt strained and strung out. It was as though her body was here in the car next to Sadao, but her soul had parted from her back in Osaka. Sadao's voice cut back in to her consciousness.

'Oh me? I'm an assistant investigator in to cult crime.'

'That sounds intriguing! What does it involve?' Rin thought of the gangs her husband had broken up with his merger, and wondered if they had been a part of these cults.

'Well, Rin-san, if you don't mind me saying that in my line of work,we thoroughly respect people like your husband for what they do. He has just helped in a lot of our endeavours, which is locating and investigating criminal cults or any cult in general, who do harm to society and the general wellbeing of our country.

Your husband has caused a lot of uproar among these cretins, as he has not only decentralized their power but taken down one of their lords Naraku, who we have been investigating for years, praying a greater demon would on a whim take him out. We don't have the technology to subdue demons like that yet.

Osaka is all but clean thanks to Sesshomaru. Our agents down in that area are now being relocated to areas that weren't so affected by the Osaka cult wipe out as their services are no longer needed in that city. I cannot begin to imagine what it must be like for you to live alongside a being with such tremendous power they can wipe out a highly organized crime syndacite overnight that would have taken us at least a decade. Your husband is a great man - or, High Demon I should say.'

Here Sadao paused, glancing at Rin as though deciding within himself if he should go ahead with what he was to say next. Rin didn't show on her face the pain she felt whenever Sesshomaru was referred to as her husband. Sadao went ahead and ventured his next line of thought out loud.

'Your husband is feared by mostly all who know or have heard of him, and I think a main contributor to that feeling is that no one really knows his intentions or who he aligns with - but in general his actions tend to work for the good of the people and not the opposite. Some say you can never under any circumstances trust a Demon, but we take what we can from such a great being: better not to question or to look a gift horse in the mouth so to speak.

I personally believe he doesn't align with anything or anyone - a creature so great does not need allies - but rather just 'is' - as he has been for eternity.

He probably works above our sphere of intention and his actions make more sense in a realm we do not exist in or understand. So, in essence, what happens to be beneficial outcomes for us here may just be unintentional side effects of his intended action in his own realm.

Excuse me speaking of your husband, but I find Demonic Royalty the most interesting of all.'

He let out a deep sigh, as though inwardly reflecting on all the things there was still for him to discover, and proceeded to end his monologue.

'All in all we as a group of investigators across the country not only charge and imprison these groups, byt we investiagte the nature of the cults themselves, why they do what they do, who they are, what their purpose is and what they do to achieve their goals. Our end goal is of course to find out the true reason for their existence in the first place.'

Rin was intensely interested by now. Hearing her husband spoken about in these new terms, with such analytical fascination, was intriguing beyong belief. She had always known Sesshomaru was a law unto himself and inherently mysterious, but Sadao was on to something that even she hadn't quite thought of - Sesshomaru's real intentions in his own realm.

It made sense that he wasn't overly interested or invested in earth and its people, but he was nontheless a powerful, influential and driven being - there must be things unknown to humans that drove him. Rin found herself feeling foolish that she expected such a being to even notice her. This tension she had with him, and her little escapade, must just seem like the childish foolishness his treatment of her appeared to reflect. She blushed, turning her face from Sadao so he did not see her discomfort.

Unfortunately for Rin, Sadao had been critically studying her the entire time. Past the obvious fact that she was very attractive and sweet - she was the wife of Sesshomaru the Great Demon.

Ever since knowing his own partner Kagura was friends with the wife of the Demon Lord, he had been eager to meet her one day. Now she was seated beside him, and like a scientist with a prize test subject, he was observing everything about her.

A demon was inherently beautiful, but not driven by aesthetics - the High Demons at least.

Therefore he had not chosen Rin for her beauty - though she had appeal in some forms, there were far more beautiful humans and even more beautiful demons he could have his pick of.

Maybe it was her peculiar sweetness and character that shone through her sparkling dark eyes? He could see a Demon far more drawn to a pure soul and to the eyes that are the windows to that soul.

He didn't know anywhere near enough about Rin as a person yet to judge her character in its particulars - but in his years of investigating evil and knowing all of its manifestations and auras, Rin did not emanate a hint of any of those things; in fact she seemed to be one of the very rare 'clear' souls as he put it - ones with little or no taint. To this extent Sadao was happy with his study and felt as though it made sense.

He hoped one day to meet the Great Demon himself, and experience the presence of not just an eternal creature - but one of Royal standing.

As she looked out the window at the rushing scenery, Rin's safety net subcinscious was trying to make her believe that this was just another year away from Sesshomaru as before, when he had come back to get her. In light of the conversation about the divine transcendent nature of her husband, she had to remind herself why she was doing this - because despite her being but a flash in his timeline of existence, he did not want her as a wife. When she thought of Sesshomaru as an entity, and not with her human emotion, she felt utterly foolish. Her passion for him led her to see him as something of very personal and intimate relation to herself, but that was all in her own mind. He had always been, and always would be - a creature unbound by feelings or time.

But despite this, Rin was human after all and she could not help the deep seated needs and desires of the human soul, regardless if Sesshomaru regarded them or not.

He was - in human terms anyway - her husband - and in his terms, she was his mate. Human or Demon, he could not escape the connotations of both those terms.

A husband was meant to listen to their wives, desire their opinion, compromise and communicate, be _passionate_ about their spouse, physically and emotionally.

He neglected all of these, and to add, enjoyed the carnal company of other women instead of own already neglected wife.

Rin knew that her love of him was not enough - in fact it was more of a harmful worship. Love, the definition of love briefly, is a mutual profound feeling and conviction shared by two people.

Rin was escaping self immolation before she truly destroyed herself. Sesshomaru was too great a being for a little human like her to handle or understand, contrary to Chiaki's belief in her strength. He operated within another realm - forever out of reach - trying to connect to him was as good as praying to a God in the sky in hopes of an answer.

Yet, this primal pull still tugged at her from within, and it had done so ever since the plane had ascended over Osaka. Surely it was just her human delusional emotion.

Rin idly wondered what job she would go for; she would prefer something productive that used her mind, but she knew she couldn't be picky.

She was very interested in the work that Sadao did but knew she would probably have to study before getting anywhere near that line of work, and she needed money within a month. Sadao did say that someone of her standing would probably be accepted right away however, and Rin began to think of it as a serious option.

One of her more casual fancies was to work in a cafe or restaurant so she would try that route first. She thought she might pursue something along the lines of Sadao's work when the purpose of it didn't feel so close to home.

Rin thought of the word 'home' and wondered if she really did have one. For her, home was never a physical place - a building or a house, even the forests of her youth.

All that appeared when she thought of the word was a darkness, and two glittering eyes turning to gaze at her from the depth of her soul, and the shock of the image forced her to swallow a sudden stinging lump in the back of her throat.

But a Demon could not be home to her, those creatures could be nobody's home - for that is what they were - empty.

Sesshomaru did not return to his mansion for another week and a half, as he remained busy with the politics of business. When he finally appeared at the mansion, he found Jaken asleep, sprawled in a degenerate way on one of the living room couches with Pepper snuggled up tightly under his arm. As though recognising his ultimate Masters presence, Pepper woke up, wonky eared and struggled under Jakens heavy sleeping arm to jump down and do a dance around the Demon's feet.

Sesshomaru ordered Jaken awake rather loudly and the imp was so startled that he started and fell off the couch shrieking. The quivering green demon looked up at the pale stern face in front of him, with the puppy in his arms.

'M'lord! You tend to turn up at the most unexpected moments! Where is Rin? I wondered where she was when she didn't return a couple weeks ago!'

Sesshomaru didn't answer, but only said after some moments 'Jaken, I have something for you to do -'

Rin had told Kagura the whole story that night and her friend was happy to help her out. She knew what it was like on her part. She offered for Rin to live with her and Sadao, but Rin declined, not just because she knew it would be an inconvenience and eventually a constant annoyance, but because it did hurt to see such an openly loving couple in front of her. It was an alien concept to Rin.

She hated herself for the feeling as she was so truly happy Kagura had found someone like Sadao - her old friend had had a tough past and had earned her right to a brighter future. Rin's hurt was many years old however and she would need a long time to become insensitive to these sorts of things.

Sadao had been kind enough to take her on a restricted tour of his workplace. The employees greeted her with a strange reverence, and even the director of the building bowed low to her and sincerely wished to pass his respects to Lord Sesshomaru, honouring Rin personally for being the 'strength behind the throne'. Rin had to suppress a cringe at the very inference of her being any sort of strength for Lord Sesshomaru.

It was difficult, but Rin couldn't help but swell with pride that such a creature was her husband, even if his good work was entirely unintended; and he was soon to be her husband no longer.


	11. Chapter 11

Song I listened to for this chapter was Kamelot - Liar Liar  
(Really suits this story - captures the desperate love of Rin, but her strength and character, and her passion)

'Cause I drown in your shadow like salt in the rain  
If my fear is tomorrow, your memory's the fight in my veins

But loneliness was born the day I let you go

\- Blue and the Grey and,  
A Deathless Song - Parkway Drive

Kagura had very kindly taken the day off work to show Rin around the town and some places she could apply to. To Rin's happiness, there seemed to be a lot of cafes around, and the two women chose one of them to have lunch in.  
Kagura ordered some udon for them both, as Rin's appetite was not at its best and she didn't really know what she felt like. They sat at a two seater table with a view on to the street, two stories up. Rin was gazing somewhat wistfully at the whirlpool of busyness below, vaguely feeling how pointless their rush and clamour was, how brief they all were - their timetables and schedules were all but a puff of smoke in the eyes of a demon afterall. Rin was feeling somewhat disembodied, as though she was in a sort of thick atmosphere and she was trying to see through clouded glasses. Her mouth was dry with desire for Lord Sesshomaru.

Kagura watched her friend's face and noted the wan, panting look she wore.

'You know what you need' Kagura said, digging in to her meal and already eyeing off the bowl that Rin was picking at absently.

'Mm?' Rin dragged her eyes to Kagura's face. 'I am so sorry Ka-san, I'm awful company'

'Enough of that. You need to explore' Kagura winked at Rin.

'What do you mean?' Rin sucked up some noodles, stirring the soup with her chopsticks.

'Oh come on. You need to get down and dirty!' Kagura had finished her noodles and had ordered something else already.

Rin actually laughed. 'What? How am I meant to do that when the only person who has ever attracted me - ' Rin trailed off.

'Nonsense' Kagura said heartily 'This isn't about attracting anyone or being attracted. This is about loving yourself, knowing yourself, letting go'

Rin tilted her head as though considering.

'Oh come on! Let's do it!' Kagura exclaimed excitedly 'Go to those night clubs we used to go to when you stayed with me all those years ago before you went and got hitched!'

'Sesshomaru didn't like it' Rin said in a small voice, and just as Kagura was about to express her utter disgust for Sesshomaru's dislikes, Rin did it for her. 'So it's perfect' Rin finished her sentence, rage surging through her at remembering the distant image of the tall woman Sesshomaru had beeb so keen for her to meet.

'But, wait, this isn't about pure revenge either' Kagura giggled as she saw the fiery old Rin she knew peep through with her defiant statement.

'I know - self love and all that. Thank you Ka-san'

'Well - look at you! You're always prettier every time I see you. You should have some self worth! I've already told you how happy I am you finally realised what a stick in the mud arrogant jerk your husband is - even if he is the apparent Son of God according to Sadao. The fact that on your own, you realised you were being undervalued and mistreated, and took action - well, I'm beyond proud. Mousy Rin always had a stubborn streak. Even a Demon can't hold her back for too long, even if he does have her heart. I can't believe about the mistress though! I knew he was a stuck up so-and-so but I didn't have him down as a serious cheat!'

Rin seemed to wince.  
'Well it is no longer my concern. I must shut him out of my heart.'

Even as she said the words, Rin felt her soul object - as though she was forever to see herself reflected only in his shadow - drowning in his memory. She was breathless when he was before her, and suffocating when he was not.

'So can we go out tonight?' Rin asked.

'Sure. I took a Friday off so we have the whole weekend. Let's get you all sultry and seductive before you go back for this party of yours on the 12th.'

Rin smiled a small smile, feeling extremely anxious at the thought of returning. But Kagura was right in a way, she would have to put on an iron mask for that night - and it was only fourteen days away. Rin was glad that the maids knew about it and had been preparing food for a few weeks now. The girls got up, and Rin asked Kagura what Sadao thought of clubbing.

'Oh! He has his nose so buried deep in study crap I hardly need to let him know I am going! He only cares that I have a ride home and that I am safe. He is a babe. I wish he would come with me, I do have a small group of friends I usually go out with but having him there would be so good. Oh well, things could be worse. I will text our group and see who can meet us up tonight, it should be everyone seeing as it is a Friday and we didn't go out last week.'

'Who is in this group?' Rin felt anticipated nervousness at the thought of meeting and going clubbing with a group of people - right after splitting with her husband, and it being so long since had done anything like this.  
She imagined the burning eyes of Sesshomaru drilling her.

Last time, when she was sixteen, she and Kagura had gone out - of course they were too young, but with Kagura as the leader of the escapade, they were able to worm their way in to three consecutive clubs, with two guys flanking them.  
Kagura had piled false lashes and heels on them both and they had passed security. Rin had stuck like a timid little bird to her friend the whole night, and she ended up quite drunk (she had had four drinks on an empty stomach to calm her anxiety and nerves) so that one of the boys with them had to take her back to Kagura's house at about 4am, as her friend had gone off with someone else somewhere.  
Rin couldn't sleep as she felt too wired and exhausted, so she had sat at the kitchen counter drinking water slowly and eating junk food, watching the sun rise, thanking Kami that Sesshomaru was miles and miles away.  
What she didn't know was that a certain demon's schedule had changed and a meeting had been re-appointed in the same town where Rin was. After all for a mogul it was a simple matter of travelling a few hours in a jet to get to the other end of the country.  
Without her knowledge or any pre-warning, the Demon Lord had come to pick her up early the next morning - and Rin was the one to open the door to Kagura's flat (Kagura was was not yet with Sadao).  
Just as she had been sincerely thanking Kami for her distance from the Demon, she had blinked up through heavy eyeliner, mascara and a bad head ache in to the face of her stern guardian.  
Rin had almost reeled back in shock at the time, but realised she was still wearing some painfully high shoes and she stumbled forwards in to his chest. She had quickly righted herself, and was by now blushing furiously; she leant on the door frame, fumbling with some words as Sesshomaru kept a cold gaze on her face. She ventured a glance up at him and noticed his eyebrow was slightly raised. She had felt like an utter worm and extremely embarrassed - this was the first time he had ever seen her so done up and messy.  
She had let Sesshomaru in to the room, and she began haphazardly collecting her things, all the while feeling her guardian's eyes on her in some divine judgement. She grimaced as she had to pop two pain killers and take them in front of him, and her shame only worsened when Kagura had come stumbling through the door, bright as the new day, somehow in a new dress, and money stuffed in her tiny hand bag.  
'Oh my god' Kagura had initially seen Rin, a huge dopey smile on her face, but then she quickly realised the tall figure of the Demon Prince leaning against the wall and she made the most exaggerated exclamation of surprise.

Kagura had then proceeded to rush to the bathroom to rather loudly vomit.

Rin didn't dare look at Sesshomaru. He had not said a word as she stayed for a few minutes to help Kagura in to the bath and give her some water, then somewhat shakily herself re enter the main area and duck under Sesshomaru's arm as he held open the door for her. It was an awkward silence the walk to the car, and he had taken her back to his hotel and pointedly shut her in his room with him on the outside for her to clean herself up.

He had already gained a lot of stares walking through the elite hotel lobby with what looked like a washed up party girl. Rin had rinsed away her makeup and swore to herself to never do that again, or to let Kagura talk her in to such things. The flight had been silent, with Sesshomaru focusing on his laptop. Rin was at least grateful he had not said anything about the incident.

It was only about five weeks later from that point that Rin had happened to be in a three way conversation with Sesshomaru and a business friend of Sesshomaru's at a work party. He was a bit of an obnoxious person as Rin remembered, and had halted Sesshomaru in his way out of the boring business gathering rather rudely. The man had began discussing funding for entertainment and leisure within their district, and had touched on the topic of night clubs. Evidently the man had been given a project for entertainment infrastructure and had no idea how to start. Maybe thinking the very youthful and beautiful Demon would have a better idea than he, the man had turned an enquiry upon Sesshomaru, who had been glancing quietly at Rin as she stood demurely at his side.

'I just don't know what young people would really want, I haven't lived the night life for decades!'

'I am not the person to ask sir' Sesshomaru had found the man a nuisance, and with this pointed remark obviously directed at Rin with a very smouldering gaze, he was glad to have found an opening to move on and leave the idiot to his protege, who couldn't escape the oily customer for a good half hour. She had noticed Sesshomaru's gold gaze routinely turned on her as she suffered through the man's flatteries and Rin just knew the Demon Lord had purposely done this as though punishing her for the event five weeks previous.

Rin remembered all of this and blushed all over again. But this time Sesshomaru would not come and pick her up. She felt herself yearning for a vision of his back walking in front of her, his hair a beacon she had followed since she could remember. Her heart felt tight.

But she had to tell herself she was the master of the war of emotions within her. She had done with the years of sacrificing her heart upon the altar of a love she couldn't gain back.  
She pushed down the nervousness and focused on the glimmer of excitement. Kagura had texted everyone and was listing them off to Rin as she went.

'Well, there is two sisters, Aiko and Hana. Then there is Mariko - just a fore-warning, she is very 'affectionate' to men and women' Kagura chuckled 'then there is Hisashi - he is a friend of Sadao's who actually likes to party and then Jin, who is your silent lady-killer type. So, I have texts back already from the sisters, they are good to meet us at 7pm near the train station!'

Rin's excitement gathered 'Oh but what am I going to wear?'

Kagura stopped a moment 'of course! Come - ' - Kagura pulled Rin in to the next clothing store. After another hour Rin ended up with a small black dress and boots. They went home and just like when they were younger, the girls did their makeup and hair together before going out again. Sadao asked them to bring back some fast food for him as he was deep in some book, and looked as though he was set up to be awake for the night too.

It had been warmer during the day, but there was a sudden coldness to the air as the girls travelled in to the main town in the car. They met the sisters and Jin who was with them at the station. Rin noted two very leggy ladies with beautiful smooth skin, and dyed blonde hair. They definitely looked like twins, in to some edgy fashion. Jin was very good looking and Rin found herself blushing a little when he greeted her and gave her a lop sided smile. He was very stylish too.

'This is the Demon's wife right?' Aiko had asked, looking with interest at Rin through her green eye contacts. Kagura balked a little on Rin's behalf.

'Ah no, they are divorcing soon' Kagura explained.

'Oh sorry!' Aiko apologized hastily. 'I find it very interesting but forgive me!'

'Oh no it's fine!' Rin reassured her, smiling. She was already shivering.

'The others are coming in a few minutes. Lets go and wait over there and get some drinks' Kagura led them to a small bar across the road.

Rin found she was a bit behind the group, then felt a heavy jacket drop across her shoulders. She looked up in surprise, her heart skipping itself, almost beyond belief expecting to see a stern pale face and burning jewel eyes above her.

But it had been Jin.

Her erratic heartbeat slightly regained itself.

'Oh! Thank you!' The coat was nice and warm against the cool breeze.

'You are welcome' Jin offered his arm to her.

'Jin's already romancing Rin' Hana smirked. She had a thing for Jin and she was immediately jealous of the girls cute face and petite size. She knew Jin liked the small curvy girls like Rin.

'Don't worry, Rin doesn't have eyes for anyone but Sesshomaru.' Kagura tried to reassure Hana.

'Hah!' Aiko exclaimed 'she'd be a fool not to, I saw him a few magazines and he is the hottest creature I've seen. Why are they divorcing?'

'A lot of reasons. Mainly because a demon is incapable of love. I wanted to take her out tonight to take her mind off things, so Hana -' Kagura directed a glare at the girl. 'Please be easy on her'

'Not if she's going to be easy with Jin'

Aiko and Kagura shook their heads and they had change topic as the two caught up to them, and they all sat down for drinks.

Mariko and Hisashi turned up seperately just minutes within each other, and Rin gaped over Mariko's elegant glamour. She felt like the mousiest creature yet again. She had to kick herself and remind herself she had to stop putting herself down. They finished their drinks and went off to their first club. Rin's status as the wife of a mogul gave her near carte blanche even here.

They went upstairs to the karaoke to begin with and Rin was encouraged to sing a duo with Mariko. It went pretty badly and Rin felt a stab of pain when she saw the obvious smirk on Hana's face. She was pushing herself so hard to have fun, the last thing she wanted was to deal with immediate hatred of a girl she had just met..

Rin nervously waited for a moment she could talk to Hana to clear up an apparent wrong first impression. But Jin seemed to be in her ear, and the daggers of Hana only got worse. Rin couldn't be rude, and she went along with Jin's conversation.

'So you are looking for a job?' He asked her, his voice light and inquisitive.

'Yes, as soon as I can get one'

'Would you be open to working in my restaurant?'

Rin looked at him wide eyed and Jin found himself enjoying her face and reactions.

'Oh really, you have a restaurant? Are you sure - I mean I do need training!'

He gave a polished chuckle. 'That can be arranged. You can start on Monday if you like.'

Rin was amazed and couldn't help but accept. It was perfect. She saw from the corner of her eye that Hana had got up, probably to go to the bathroom. Rin excused herself from Jin and chased after the tall Hana.

'Hana-san!' Rin rushed to catch up to the long legged beauty.

'Oh you left Jin mid-sentence? He won't like that.' Hana scoffed.

Rin blushed, feeling queasy at Hana's obvious dislike.

'Hana-san, I seem to have annoyed you. If it's to do with Jin-kun I must assure you I have no attraction to him or want anything to happen.'

'What? What are you talking about?' They had entered the bathroom and Hana was applying lip gloss rather enthusiastically.

'I - I don't know - I just think that I have upset you.'

'Look' Hana turned to face Rin. 'You can't help being exactly his type. You do what you need to do, it's none of my business.' Hana left the bathroom and Rin went after her, continuing:

'Please just trust that I would value your friendship far above any guys attention!' They re-entered the room.

Kagura looked between the two women curiously as Hisashi said they should go downstairs to the club now.

By about 2am Rin was on a lounge to the back with Mariko listening intently to Rin's story of heart break, and as a couple of tears dropped from the little woman, Mariko put her arm around her. The few tears turned to a lot.

'I - I'm so sorry Mariko-san' Rin sobbed, clutching her glass of wine. 'Im just a mess'

'It's ok sweetie, look you are beautiful and kind. Don't let that guy take you down. Come dance with me!' Rin was pulled to her feet and the elegant Mariko danced very seductively with her; Rin didn't care - with the alcohol in her veins and her haywire emotions, she was glad to do anything to take her mind from the pulsing image of the two molten eyes within her heart.

'Have you tried touching yourself?' Mariko asked Rin as they dance close together. A guy tried to get behind Rin and dance.

'I tried - a while ago - ' Rin replied delirious with emotion.

'Well, you need to relieve some tension.'

The man behind Rin put hands around her stomach.

'Hey back off' Mariko snarled at the creep. She moved Rin and herself to another area as Jin came up to them with more drinks.

'You'll be perfect for this job Rin-san. It requires a sort of flirty attitude' Jin winked and walked off leaving the girls with their drinks.

'W-what does he mean?' Rin questioned.

Mariko snickered 'oh. His restaurant caters to - shall we say - 'businessmen' - with a taste for pretty young women. Don't worry! It will only require you to wear a cute uniform and serve them with a sweet chirpy attitude. I have heard things about an option for paid services - if you know what I mean - but that is not at all forced on you.'

'Oh dear' Rin went pale, even with the drink inside her she felt a bit sick. She was feeling more and more that she was being plunged in to some murky world of sensuality.

'It will do you good! Jin will look after you sweetie' the noise and clamour of all the bodies in the club suddenly struck Rin at a new decibel. She had to get some fresh air. She left Mariko to stumble outside, and found herself surrounded by a group of smokers with tattoos - nothing like Sesshomaru's markings.

Rin coughed as the smoke cloud smothered her.

'Hey' a guy approached her from the group 'want some?' He handed her the cigarette, and Rin not really knowing what situation she was in absently took it, and tried to smoke it.

'Ha! Not like that peaches' the guy said, taking it from her again 'you gotta suck, breath in then blow out' he demonstrated then put it right back between her lips, touching her chin and neck as he took his hand away. Rin gasped and choked on the smoke all at once making the group around her laugh.

'Want to come with us?' The main guy asked her, putting an arm round her shoulders. 'We have more of that where we live' he pointed to the smoke between her lips, which was twisted tabacco with something else. Rin was feeling very heady.

'Oi' came a voice behind them.

'Ahhh Hana!' The guy who was getting too close to Rin turned and spread out his hands to the striking woman.

Rin turned to look wide eyed at Hana, who was sillouhetted by the light within the doorway.

'Must you pick up every rag on the street?' Hana said coldly to the guy and he appeared to giggle, imploring her.

'Oi Rin, come on' Hana beckoned and Rin followed Hana back inside.

When they were in and half way to the bathroom, Hana had pushed Rin against the wall.

'Baka! Never go out alone when they are there. You're lucky I had been watching.'

'What?' Rin was trying to gather rational thought at this moment and did not understand what Hana was on about.

'They would've taken your virginity faster than your Demon King or whatever could bolt here on lightning. And worse.'

'Thank you for rescuing me' Rin sounded almost worshipping toward the authoritative Hana.

Hana let her go.

'You're hopeless when you're drunk. Not hard headed at all.' Hana scoffed gruffly. Truth be told Rin's utter vulnerability got to her a bit, in a good way. She felt protective.

'Come on. I will get you some water.' As they sat at the bar, Hana watching Rin with a slight frown on her face, Rin began talking to her.

'Hana-san - I really won't take Jin - I won't - I know I am divorcing - but after another person - can't -' Rin briefly shut her eyes as her head rested in her hands. Hana sighed, shaking her head. That girl had smoked something more than a cigarette.

Jin and Kagura came up to them and Hana let them know briefly what had happened.

'I'll take her home' Jin offered, only to be subject of Hana's glare. Kagura wrapped an arm around Rin and asked Hana to help her in carrying Rin back to the car. The drug and all the alcohol was not mixing well. Kagura briefly remembered for a moment the only in person sight she'd ever had of Lord Sesshomaru all those years ago. He had been the most frightening, ethereal apparition she had ever seen. It was a good thing he wouldn't be appearing at 7am in her living room this time; Kami knew what he would think of her hosting prowess.

Rin suddenly chirped up a bit and mumbled something.

'What, what are you trying to say?'

' -Sad -ao - fo-od'

Kagura frowned trying to make out Rin's words as they all walked towards her car, and her frown turned to a laugh as she realised what Rin was getting at. She had even remembered in this state about Sadao's throw away request for fast food.

In her delirious mind, all Rin's heart screamed for was a certain tall Lord. Despite her best sober efforts to control the warring emotions within, she realised that if he were to appear before her now, the nature of her truly desperate heart would reveal itself and she would but be a trembling mess in his utter control. She felt a deep burning inside her, and once she was back at Kagura's house, in the shower, the throbbing between her legs increased as she remembered the gaze of her husband, his deep smooth voice, his hands as they flourished in some articulation of speech, as they occasionally did. Mariko's question came back to her, and her loose consciousness let go as she slid a hand to the area that longed to be touched. Rin gasped softly as she imagined it was her husbands long fingers...

She fell asleep in the shower, and crawled in to bed two hours later, shivering, filled with a sick longing that gnawed in her gut and her hot area.

Little did anyone know, least of all Rin, that a certain grumpy imp had been present in that particular club that night, and had seen and heard mostly everything that had happened.


	12. Chapter 12

Cold was my soul

Untold was the pain

I felt when you left me

A rose in the rain

\- Cradle of Filth, Nymphetamine

Rin shuddered at the memory of last night. She had woken up in the afternoon, her mouth very dry and her head aching. She eventually slipped out of bed, peeking out the window. It looked lovely outside; the sky was filled with a thin film of mist that cast a dusky hue over the landscape. She longed for silence and freshness and decided she would go for a short walk.

Kagura and Sadao were out. Her friend had left a note on the bench, letting her know they had gone to do some food shopping and to ring her if she needed anything. Oh and there were tablets and food for her on the table. Rin smiled; she was lucky to have a friend like Kagura. She must do something for them to repay their kindness. But what could she do? She felt Sadao would be overjoyed only by her presenting her husband to him. Rin blushed at the casual thought of Sesshomaru running through her mind. She sat down to eat the fruit and tea her friend had left for her and wondered what the Lord Sesshomaru could be up to; what was he thinking - who was he with? Her curiosity diminished as she thought of the tall lady with brown hair. Rin switched off her dangerous line of thought.

Kagura liked spiritual things, like Daruma dolls - it seemed like the ones Rin had seen in the house were quite faded. She might go down to the local temple to buy one and pray. It had been a while since she did anything like it - she was always with a Prince of Demons and had little need for prayer. But it would do her no harm to pray to the local spirits that guarded her friends.

She dressed herself, washed her face and headed out of the house. She walked down the quiet streets, winding her way down to a road that was bordered by forest, and she loved to gaze within the green shade and imagine the ancient spirits of the place shifting silently within the trees, whispering like the wind through the leaves. There was a sudden breeze that breathed an earthen sweet smell to Rin in the cool of the evening and her soul felt revived. This - this was where she was at peace, where she felt at home - in the ageless face of a forest that stood before the buildings around it, and would continue to stand even after the buildings were rotten to the ground. Just like one of these trees, she thought how Sesshomaru also saw the passing of many settlements and cities through his lifespan, and like the fathomless trees he stood almost silent, just as still, and evergreen and youthful through the window of time and age.

Here was far more poetry, far more beauty in her eyes, than in all the lights and sounds of the city. She stepped closer to the treeline to feel the long grass against her legs, and the tips of the tree leaves brush against her face. The temple was down a path through the forest, and she gladly stepped on to the walk way of stones that led her in to the heart of the evergreen glade. The constant hushing of the leaves and the distant sound of water rushing somewhere, coupled with the song of birds and crickets, pleasured her ears far more than the booming beat of a club. It had its place but - this was tranquillity defined.

Rin came to the Torii and went through the ritual before paying her respects to the gods. There were a few people milling around, either admiring the atmosphere and taking in the splendour of nature, or quietly chatting to each other. Rin walked to the little stall that sold charms and household items. She bought a few Daruma dolls and also a fan, and paid the lady extra. She sat by a fountain and wondered why she hadn't come to temples before - their peace transcended even the quietude of a housed street. Even though she had a very Great Spirit of the gods living alongside her for most of her life, any purity was shrouded by his form as a Demon, and his own unique nature. Rin felt security in his presence, and a sort of safe comfort, but not quite the elevated peace of this place. Maybe she did need an objective spiritual influence; she had fallen deeply in love with a member of heaven's High Spirit's, but it clouded her experience of any spiritual connection.

Her spirit sought Sesshomaru in a very different way to the way in which one sought a more belief driven experience. If she were to ever hope to continue with Sesshomaru - she hoped she could feel towards him as she did toward the green trees of the forest - pure, peaceful - transcendent. Yet it would always be coupled with such fervent, consuming desire that could only be quenched by the object of her also pure love. It was the light and dark of love that troubled her - she could not rid herself of the passion that ran like fire inside her whenever she was in the presence of - even thought of - her soon not to be husband. Nor had he inspired her with the divine clarity that true loves bestows. He was a great murky mist of grey to her, a creature of utterly veiled intention and emotion, as Sadao had also deducted. Rin gazed hard in to the emerald haze of the forest around her and sighed. There had really never been any hope, of a Great Demon and a small mortal ever meeting upon the eternal plane of love that equalises all.

'Oh but there is'

Rin jumped as the old lady who had served her at the stall stood next to her, bent, withered but with a smile as old and fresh as the trees around them.

'You knew what I was thinking?'

'Perhaps. Or maybe the charm you absently bought alongside your other trinkets told me something.'

Rin frowned suddenly, looking in shock through her bag. Sure enough, there was a charm there she had not intended to pick up let alone buy. It was for the hope of a god to reconcile with the holder of the charm.

'You are the Great Dog Demon's mate, are you not?'

Rin could only nod, slowly replacing the charm back in the bag.

'Well my dear' the old woman sat next to her, her back creaking slightly. 'As you say - love is an equalizer - upon it Kings have sacrificed their thrones for a low maid, and servant boys have slain beasts to gain a Princess's favour. You cannot tell me a Demon and a girl are any different if they meet upon the same divine platform. One rises, one lowers, both become one. In fact, let me tell you something - ' the old woman shuffled a bit closer and dropped her voice a little lower. 'If you fear the passing of your life so quickly in the face if a timeless spirit, have you not considered the very connection that binds you? Your body may be earth bound, but what is within you, and what sets your soul in to fire when you think of your husband - those things are as eternal as the Great Lord Sesshomaru himself. I am surprised he has never told you this at all - folly to the characteristic pride and silence in his family line. What I am trying to say is - if he meets you equally on the divine plane of love - if it is bound and consumated, you, the human, and he, the Demon, will become one - half and half of each other - both living and dying at once. That is how it is in the realm of gods. Love binds the souls and the bodies. The earth and its laws have no power over such a union.'

Rin was listening with such incredulity that her eyes filmed over with tears. She felt as though a door from heaven had cracked open, and one of its eternal secrets had been bestowed on her. Could this be true?!

Despite this, Rin eventually shook her head sadly.

'I thank you deeply for your wisdom and kindness - if only it were true. Even if this were to happen, it cannot. I love him, but there is no such emotion in the spirit of the Demon. I - I must move on, and not dwell on these things that may give me even more vain hope to torture myself with. Please, may I return this?' Rin held out the charm for reconciliation with a god to the lady 'I have no need for it'

The old lady's gaze went from studying Rin's face, to the charm. After a moment her wizened old hand took it from her. Rin waited, feeling as though the lady had more to say.

'You know' the lady sighed, her tone considering, 'I have met the Demon Prince many times in my life.' She glanced up shrewdly at Rin to register her reaction. She was satisfied with the little woman's look of amazement and interest. 'I was a priestess for his mother's shrine in my youth. I honour your feelings, my Lady, and I also read deep hurt in you. But let me leave you with this. When I was a girl, Sesshomaru was a very feared, hated and ostracized being. But ever since you entered his life, he is a different creature. Rarely has a woman of mortal kind affected an eternal being in such a telling and powerful way. You may want to reconsider the idea you have of his utter control of you. From what I have seen and heard, it is - quite the opposite. The tides of his eternal spirit which I see in my journeys to the realm above flow only to you.'

Rins breathing was shallow and her head swam. This was surely beyond coincidence. Had someone sent this High Priestess? If so, who? How was she here, at the local shrine in the town of her best friend? It was strange, and her words were stranger, Rin shuddered and cowered as they seemed to glow with the weight of a truth beyond bearing. Her heart was hammering. Her brain had switched in to a very haywire gear as the old lady continued looking at her, as though she were fascinated by the little woman.

'He doesn't care for me!' Was all Rin could manage, in a hollow tone. She backed away, as though trying to tear herself from a magnetic field pulling her inwards. 'He doesn't - care - for me - ' Rin finally turned and ran, stumbling, as though a hound of hell was after her.

When she exited the forest path, she felt as though she had just torn through a veil that she did not remember entering. Her head and heart pounding, she dared to dash back to the shrine to see if what had happened had indeed just happened. She saw the Torii - and the people milling about. But there was no stall, no old lady. Rin looked in her bag frantically. The charm she had returned was there. Rin felt very unwell. She could not allow her passion to return to the surface. She could no longer tear herself in shreds over her ardour for the Demon. She could not believe the woman, despite everything - the words of eternal life with the one she loved, the suggestion that she - Rin, orphan, small little mortal, controlled the very spiritual energy of such a great and powerful Demon? No. No no.

When she made it back home, Kagura cried out in relief that her friend was ok. It was almost dark outside. Rin was very altered and Kagura immediately asked if she was ok. All Rin could say was:

'Who is the priestess down at the shrine?' She absently handed the bag of trinkets to Kagura - the charm was already in her hand.

'Oh that old bird! She died two years ago.'

Rin, in stunned silence, walked zombie like to her room. Sadao narrowed his eyes, not saying anything.

Rin tried to relive the conversation she had had with the spirit of the priestess - why had she returned from the spirit world to speak with her particularly? What was so important? It made no sense. Perhaps her words bore even more weight than before, knowing they had come from a soul beyond the grave. But after all her thinking Rin could not accept it despite the truth in the ladys very eyes and spoken words, because she _knew_ Sesshomaru - she knew the cold eyes and the stern face, the commanding voice and the dismissive presence.

It was borne upon her day after day after day with painful force.

That proved to her his feelings toward her far more than the potent and spirit speaking words of that High Priestess. For so long she had been hurt, ignored, that alongside her conviction of her deep love for Sesshomaru was another just as deep, of his not loving her at all. Rin's chest heaved silently with broken pleas from her soul. She had come here to escape him - and yet - and yet, it was as though he surrounded her.


	13. Chapter 13

_She was not a ready lover, but where she loved - she loved passionately_

 _\- North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell_

The various great strains of the weekend left their mark on Rin, and she had to exert some immense willpower to get herself out of bed in time for her induction shift at Jin's restaurant. Her nervousness was increased tenfold as she recalled the ominous inferences people had made to her on Friday night reharding the position. Kagura had been kind enough to drop Rin off en route to her own work, and Rin was left on the sidewalk in front of a rather norrmal looking building facade. Kagura had refrained from questioning Rin too much over her very strange behavior on Saturday afternoon, or the fact that her friend did not leave her room all of Sunday. She had been touched by the gifts Rin had got for her, but she was worried about her. She knew Jin would at least look after her.

Rin entered the building with a kick of inner strength and was faced with such an understated elegence she wondered if she had entered the same building she had seen on the outside. There were girls in uniforms consisting of rather short frilly skirts, rather low cut open neck blouses and little hats bouncing around serving mainly suited men, ranging in all ages. Rin clasped her bag and coat closer to herself, desperately looking around for Jin. She felt a pair of hands on her shoulders and turned to see Jin had come through the doors behind her.

'You're early! That's good' Jin smiled at her and Rin blushed faintly. 'Come' Rin followed him around the back of all the dining area to an ante room, which consisted of poker tables and a bar that was for now empty, probably due to the early hour of the day.

'Take a seat!' Rin sat down on one of the bar stools that Jin had motioned toward as he moved around behind the bar, cleaning and prepping the machines. He placed a steaming cup of tea in front of her seamlessly between his organizing. Rin hardly had a chance to thank him as he was listing off all her duties to her.

'The uniform cost will come out of your first pay. You will be paid weekly and in cash every Thursday. The most vital part of this job is not only punctuality, but a bubbly, charming demeanour to the guests. Do not rebuff any compliments, or flirtation. You must engage every customer on all levels. Do not leave a customer unattended at any point throughout his duration here. Oh and before I forget - I had this delivered this morning - ' Jin cut off his listing off to throw a glossy magazine in front of Rin.

The little woman gasped as full spread on the cover was a picture of her husband. It was one of those artsy half very dark, half light images. He was lounging in a throne of a corporate appearance, a black long sleeve button up shirt open three buttons at the neck, his hand tugging nonchalantly at his tie as he shot a gaze down the lens. There was a great tome under his other hand and - was that - yes! It was! Pepper was in his lap! Rin had to hold back her emotion with titan fortitude - the words of the priestess spirit swimming through her mind; - no, insignificant little her could not hold any sway over the beauty before her.

'Impressive isn't he' Jin smirked. 'I am sure all of Asia and Europe will salivate when they hear of your divorce.'

'Oh - about that Jin-sama, I didn't want it to be known yet - nothing has officially been done -'

Jin seemed to pause a moment as though he knew something she did not.

'Well. I am sorry for the situation, but I hope it means I have gained a long term and no doubt what will be highly sought after employee. Here is your uniform - if it doesn't fit let me know. One of our maids Ami will show you around and help teach you the finer details. Oh and you can take the magazine, I don't need that dazzling vision reminding me how unattractive and unsuccessful I am in comparison' Jin laughed as he said this and Rin only shook her head, thanking him. He pointed her in the direction of the change room.

Rin just fitted in to the clothes - they didn't quite fit over her chest or hips. She stepped out and looked at her reflection in the mirror covering the entire wall. She tugged uncomfortably at the short skirt and the low blouse which showed the beginning of her cleavage, trying to magically extend the fabric. She was intensely dreading the work before her. She couldn't imagine engaging in any flirtation with any man; she felt dirty just thinking about it.

The little woman breathed in. It was money, it was independence - she was very lucky to have such a high profile job. She tried to ignore the stare of Sesshomaru even through the still image on the magazine cover that she had placed in her hand bag. She stepped outside and Ami almost collided with her.

'Oh sorry! I am Ami, nice to meet you' the young woman bowed to Rin. 'I heard you are married to the spunk on the latest magazine cover! Good catch, I won't ask why you're in this line of work with such a husband - but I guess you have your reasons!' Ami laughed, beckoning to Rin over her shoulder so that the little woman would follow.

'You'll be popular with the men' Ami went on, taking her through to the gigantic flashy kitchen.

'Now here is where you pick up the orders to take out to the customers' she pointed to a series of rotating aluminium shelves that were joined to a heat source. 'It's fine to pick up plates by hand from this one. Just check the screen above for the order number and the number will be on the tray also'

Ami went on to teach her how to hold the plates properly, balancing some on the inner forearms and the others resting on the palm of her hand.

Rin had a hard time of it focusing on the training and not on her forest spirit experience and the words that were exchanged. It was still too overwhelming for her to process, and the very thought of Sesshomaru being more controlled by her than she him - the image off the magazine vibrant in her mind - she shuddered, and recoiled from the idea with a paradoxical rush of heat.

She had dropped a plate as a consequence of her inattention.

'No it's ok' Ami smiled professionaly - 'you have only been here an hour'

Rin felt mortified and pushed any thought of Sesshomaru away for as long as she could. It was hard when it felt as though he was omnisciently haunting her everywhere she turned.

Ami finally told Rin to go and greet a customer, as she had just trained her in the formal greeting. Rin forced a quasi confidence and approached the newcomer swiftly and with a bright smile.

'Good morning, sir, welcome to Restaurant BLACK, you are invited to come and relax in our setting and enjoy our service - thank you for coming! How may I help?'

The man was of debatable age, wore glasses and looked rather grim.

'I would like a private meeting' he stated.

Oh no. Rin had not been taught the answer to this one. She flashed a smile, said 'but of course' and that she would return momentarily once she had referred back to Ami.

'Ah. One of those. I will deal with him.' Rin thanked Kami and sat down on one of the stools in the kitchen. In a few moments Ami came back.

'He's requested you' she said 'I told him you were on your introduction shift and were unavailable for now. I never turn away a customer, but that was necessary.'

'What did he mean by private meeting?'

Ami sent her a slanted look.

'Come on my dear aren't you the Demon's wife? You should know more than any the carnal desires of a man'

Rin went a deep red.

'I can't - do that sort of thing! No!'

'Not yet at any rate' Ami conceded 'it's totally up to you'

Rin went back to greeting and serving customers, trying to hide her completely disconcerted turmoil. She felt a bit shell shocked to say the least.

One man gave her a tip.

'You have a very nice figure' he had said, and Rin forced herself to laugh and thank him for his kindness, all the while inwardly cringing at the thought of his beady little eyes undressing her in his mind.

Rin was all too glad to go home and sleep that evening. She was on again tomorrow. She tossed and turned for a while in bed before giving up and turning on the bedside lamp, getting up to retrieve the magazine in her bag. She stared at the cover picture for a while, her face growing slowly more and more hot. She opened the fresh crisp pages and turned to his article. There was even a poster of him. Rin unfolded it with shaking fingers and gasped when she saw his almost shirtless figure before her eyes. What on Kami's earth? She had never known him to be so - provocative, or revealing. Surely this was another model, with his features photo shopped over the top? But no - as her hooded eyes grazed over the chiseled alabaster body partly obscured by a suit jacket slung over his shoulder, the defined neck with the Adams apple and the sharp youthful jawline - none of it was fake. That was all Sesshomaru. Her breath had hitched in her throat and in between her legs tingled, a rush of warmth pooling there. Her eyes fixated on his countenance, which faced the camera, the eyes looking dark and predatorial, his hands in his tight jean pockets, his body sinuously posed as though he was about to launch from the wall he leant against to approach the viewer. Rin was overcome with such a heady lust she hated herself. She tore her gaze from his almost living one though it was but paper printed with ink transferring his image. She wondered who on earth the photographer was - what was the purpose in such an image? She felt incredibly jealous of every other girl who had recieved the same sensual poster of her husband. She kicked herself. Soon not to be. She threw the magazine across the room, switched off the lamp and threw the covers over head as though trying to escape his inanimate image sprawled across the floor.

'Go away go away go away!' She repeated in a passionate whisper, it almost became a chant as she finally fell asleep, utterly drained.

The first thing Rin looked at in the morning was the magazine and the dreaded poster. Shd turned it over - and actually jumped, throwing it away from her. The image had completely changed. It was still her husband, but he was fully clothed, and his face wore the habitual cold and emotionless expression. He was seated at his desk, as though paused in writing a document, looking down the lense with an inscrutable expression.

Rin knew she was going mad. The spirit in the forest was surely messing with her, sending her hallucinations that only served to pain and twist her heart even more than it had already been. But she had to focus on getting ready for work; she could not be late.

By the end of that week Rin was tired, harrassed and empty. She had her first pay however and that had cheered her up a lot. She wondered what Sesshomaru would think of her earning her own money - via the means she was going through. No doubt he would not be pleased about anything, as usual. She had sworn to not indulge herself in even idle thoughts regarding the Demon - as she had obviously hallucinated the whole false image on the poster. She had quickly retracted blame from the Priestess spirit - nothing had created that image but her own burning mind. It made her feel queasy and shaky every time she thought of it. It had made the veiled sexual innuendo she had recieved all week even harder to bear with such an image of the man she had so long yearned for, unfulfilled, seared in to her brain - such a predacious burn to his gaze, more emotion in them than she had known all her years together with him. If only - but no. That wasn't Sesshomaru at all. He was the opposite of that sensual apparition she had envisioned - he was the same statuesque ivory carved cold Lord as he had always been.

It was one week until she was to return to the mansion, and she felt as though she hadn't had a break from the Prince at all.

Rin came out to make herself some food in the kitchen and smiled at Sadao who was sitting at the table.

'How have you been?' He asked.

'What a question!' Rin remarked ironically, in light of everything that had happened.

'I have noticed you have seemed very worn down - and your aura has been off'

'No doubt! Sadao-kun - may I ask you something?' Rin paused in her food preparation and she could tell Sadao had just been waiting for her to ask such a thing.

She went ahead as he nodded.

'Seeing as you know about the spiritual realm...what does it mean when a person - or being's - spirit flows to one point?'

Sadao pondered for a moment.

'Well I don't have an exact answer, as of course I have never travelled to that realm' he stroked his chin, considering. 'I would venture to say it has something to do with the Axis Mundi'

'What is that?' Rin had left the food for now and was turned toward Sadao, her whole attention focused on what he was going to say.

'It is, in latin, the phrase for the cosmic centre of the world; in European mythology it is the World Tree or Yggdrasil - it is the connection between heaven and earth. Most spiritual tides will flow to and from this centre as a source of power. So you could deduce that wherever a spirit tide flows, there also is their power source.'

Rin just could not make sense of this meaning. She understood what Sadao had said, but just like the priestess spirit, it very clearly hinted at her being the power or the controller of Sesshomaru. The very idea was completely ridiculous. To at least have someone to agree to her disbelief, she decided to let Sadao know about the shrine incident.

'I ask because when I visited the shrine on Saturday - I encountered the spirit of the priestess. She spoke to me of my connection to Lord Sesshomaru. She said that in her journey's to the spirit world, she saw the tides of his spirit flowing to me. Now if I am to take what you have guessed at as close to the answer to that riddle - I am in a way - his power source? How is that possible! It's completely nonsensical - the very idea that I would have any sway over his being.'

Sadao whistled slowly in response, as if Rin had said something incredible.

'Well what a fascinating discovery! How glad I am that you are here! You know, I would never guessed that myself. You must keep yourself safe. You know, no judgement on my behalf, but divorcing him will do neither of you any good at all!'

Rin was even more perplexed by Sadao's strange response and his sudden turn about comment on her impending divorce.

'What do you mean keep safe? What are you on about, saying the divorce will do no good?'

Sadao was furiously typing on his lap top and far from answering her amazed, troubled questions, he just kept muttering strange things.

'What a devil he truly is! Ha!' - more typing and clicking - 'well, well, well' - 'clever. Very clever' - 'Oh - !'

Rin was becoming unreasonably angry. She had had enough of all the utterly exhausting puzzles and circumstances surrounding her. She went up to Sadao and turned the lap top away from him.

'Sadao! Please answer me! I am struggling, so so much!'

Sadao frowned at her through his glasses.

'Right. Sorry. Hm' he seemed to consider for a moment. 'I can't put it any other way, Rin-san. But you can never escape him, even if you do divorce.'

Rin went three times paler than she usually was, and her lips became dry.

'What?' She whispered.

'I'm afraid so.'

'But - I - I must! I must live a normal life - I can't keep living with his sceptre haunting me! How am I meant to forget him - when he is everywhere?'

Sadao listened to her with scientific intent.

'Ah so I am right! It's as though he was with you all the time, correct?'

'Oh Sadao-kun, I've been losing my mind - I - I keep seeing things, and I have such a heavy _strain_ \- I feel as though there's a band around my soul that has stretched it to a point of pain - '

'Yes, yes!' Sadao said enthusiastically. 'Right! Well, what I can recommend to make it better, is to return to him and stay.'

'No.' Rin said in a quiet, wan but determined tone. 'I will not live under that oppression any longer'

Sadao frowned.

'Things will only get worse apart' he countered. 'You are his anchor, so to speak, in both worlds'

Rin had to put her head in both hands. 'Impossible. Surely it can be cut off? I would rather walk across shards of glass and burning coal for the rest of my life, than live with a love so neglected'

'This sounds very serious. I am afraid I can do nothing. I am sorry Rin-san. It is a very difficult situation.'

Rin rose, as though pulling through treacle. What did all this even mean? She was so tired. Just so exhausted. She could hardly think of the ramifications of what she had just found out. She would - she would rid herself of this burden, or it would kill her. She posed one more question to Sadao.

'How would I go about cutting this spiritual flow?'

Sadao became rather grim.

'Please do not do it, I beg you before I say it. You would have to destroy him. Not physically of course - he is eternal as you know - but his spirit. You would have to destroy it.'

Rin felt ill to her stomach. 'How would I do that?' She whispered.

'I presume - by completely destroying his love for you.'

Rin almost screamed. She felt at such a pinnacle of pressure that she would explode.

'He doesn't - ! This is the thing! He doesn't. Love me. This is the whole crux of the matter - ' she walked about erratically, distressed and at an utter loss. 'I am so sorry Sadao-kun. Here - feel free to study this silly charm the priestess gave me - ' she tossed him the charm and he eagerly grasped it, relieved that Rin had ended her angsty tirade and left the room.

Now going back for the 12th felt even more intractably impossible than ever before. She must escape him, or sacrifice her very soul!


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry to anyone who read that rage upload! I went and calmed down and rationalised that maybe the univerese deleted the chapter because that wasn't how the story was meant to be! You wouldn't believe it but it deleted it twice. Trying hard not flip the rage table. Note to everyone: writing on paper is your safest bet!

 _All this was torture to me - refined, lingering torture. It kept up a slow fire of indignation and a trembling trouble of grief, which harrassed and crushed me altogether_

 _Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte_

Rin had returned to the shrine to sit for a while near the Torii, and in these surroundings her desperation dissipated as she recalled times long past...

She remembered the intrigued fright she had felt when she was so young, when she came upon Sesshomaru for the first time. He had looked like a vision straight from the legends and myths she had grown up with - but, he had been hurt, and was leaning against a tree. She had stepped out of the shrubs which she hid behind and approached him gradually, even though he snarled at her, his red eyes blazing.

Rin sighed; remembering his caring question that had immediately opened her heart to him: 'where did you get those bruises?' - no one had ever used such a tone with her.

Then she remembered very vaguely, her death after the wolves attacked her. She remembered dwelling in the netherworld, where only cold darkness greeted her. It seemed to be ages that past in desolate misery - when with some unseen power her bonds in the nether realm broke, and she felt herself being pulled in to a blinding light. From the darkness - two burning yellow suns looked down in to her face. She blinked - and she saw her Lord Sesshomaru bent over her small figure, and she smelt his earthen, strange scent, felt his hair around her and she believed she had entered a universe purely consisting of her and the Demon.

She remembered his constant protection and salvation of her; even from her second death he had saved her. For some reason she could never find out, he had always gone to extraordinary lengths to keep her by his side. She wished with all her heart they could return to those days, when Rin could chat away to him and he would just listen, sometimes making an ironic remark. The older she got, the further she had become from him - the cursed marriage had killed anything between them that was good.

And now, instead of eagerly awaiting her reunion with him, she was fearing and hating it.

Still, she remembered Jakens recounting to her when he had cried tears on Sesshomaru's behalf, as the Demon Prince's heart had ached for her when she died a second time - and found he could not revive her again. She recalled his eyes that yet again were the first thing she saw as she returned to her body, and how incredibly deep they had seemed as he gazed at her awaking face. She remembered his rescue of her from the group of monks - his utterly terrifying display of power - the way he still allowed her to choose for herself whether to follow him.

All this now, through the lens of a more adult mind, Rin could not understand his motivation for anything. She couldn't stop her mind from forcing through her barriers and thinking - to the point of obsession - about the gaze that greeted her life many times - the being who had protected and cared for her - the Lord Sesshomaru. Had she only had these experiences as a reminder of him, she would love him dearly. She still did. But the few years of his absolute distancing, his dictatorial nature changed from his encouragment of freedom, his utter neglect of her - Rin felt as though she were a worn out husk of a person.

The spirit connection he had to her still made no sense whatsoever. She could not be inextricably tied to a being who was so indifferent to her? It was insupportable. She must revert to the self-protective runaway she had been as a child even before she had met the Great Spirit Sesshomaru. She loved him and always would. But she had to move forward.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. It was Jin.

'Is everything ok?' Rin was surprised that he was calling her at this hour. She had begun walking home as dusk was beginning to fall.

'Oh yes!' He said in a tone that Rin could only describe as 'interested disinterest'. He continued; 'Are you busy at the moment?'

'No, I am just on a walk'

'Would you like to go to dinner with me? I can pick you up as 7pm if you wish'

Rin couldn't think of any reason or excuse to say no, so she agreed. She felt rather surprised about his request, and felt a glimmer of excitement. She hoped he could be a good friend, one who could replace the horrible mess her friendship with Kohaku had turned out to be.

She arrived home, a heaviness within her, she was determined to not let the strain on her soul keep her ill.

Jin arrived exactly on time, and he sat and spoke with Kagura while Rin finished with her hair. She had decided that she would get a hair cut in the next couple of days as she was tired of long hair - she needed a change in more than one way.

Rin greeted Jin and they proceeded to his car outside - it was a nice vehicle and not overly luxurious like the ones Sesshomaru rode around in when he was on official business and unable to fly. As though in an attempt to forget the persistent memories and images of Lord Sesshomaru, especially the smouldering shirtless accursed hallucination - she forced her focus in the present, to the man that she was with.

He was very different to Sesshomaru - he did not have any where near the oppressive sense of veiled power, or the autocratic way about him; his conversation was quiet but good. She watched as he would habitually run a hand through his blonde tipped hair, which was cut in a very designer style. Rin thought of Sesshomaru's long wild mane, and how it often had brushed against her face. She felt glad he was nowhere near her and shuddered involuntarily as she felt as though his voice whispered her name in her ear.

The evening went very enjoyably; Jin had asked her to also cover over two shifts in the morning and evening on the Friday - as it was her last day before leaving, and he offered to take her to the airport himself. Rin agreed, glad to extend her stay by any means possible in Sendai, away from the Demon spirit. That night Rin suffered many nightmares - things of terror from her worst fears - Sesshomaru was a half transformed figure, rushing at her with blood red slits for eyes, or dead, stone cold to her touch, his face lifeless and truly stone like. Rin tossed and turned, and woke at 6am when in her mind she saw a round object that seemed to be made of contained flame, and it suddenly burst in to thousands of pieces with a shattering split. Rin had to gather herself as she half rose in bed, panting, her body filmed over with sweat, as she felt as though hands strangled her for a moment.

The next afternoon Rin had booked in an appointment with the hairdressers - the long nights of distress taking its toll as she had to be woken up in the chair. She had fallen asleep as the girl clipped and styled her hair. Rin was mortified, and apologised profusely. She was surprised to see that she sort of suited the shorter shoulder length cut, her face framed by her front sections that now sat around her cheeks and jawline. She also felt so light, as if a weight had been lifted. After the product wore off Rin smiled grimly at how her hair still managed to look ruffled and messy even though she brushed it.

She was studying her image in the reflection at home before work the next day, noting the dark circles under eyes that were still apparent through her foundation - when she swore a pair of gold eyes turned and looked back at her from the mirror itself. She gasped and fell back slightly, shaking her head. When would her mind return to normal? With silent tears she wondered when those eyes ceased being the symbol of the light of life for her - the beacons she sought for security - to something of nightmares and dread. Was this how most people felt about demons? Scared and repulsed? Rin was tired of whatever it was that stalked her, she was at the end of her wits.

In her room a piece of paper floated out of her hand bag as she desperately rifled through the belongings for more pain killers. She picked up the paper and read a number with Chiaki's name under it. She smiled through her tears and in her desperation she rang the lady.

'Chiaki-san, I am so scared.'

'Rin-san? Are you ok, are you safe?'

'Yes, yes! I am scared of Sesshomaru - I am to see him tonight. I have been having nightmares... will you please be at the party? I guess you recieved an invite by now? I need someone who I can rely on!'

'Rin! What has caused such frantic fear of him? You sound as though you have a spectre after you. Of course I will be at the party. Have you found anyone else Rin?'

Chiaki-san thought Rins voice sounded so altered from the usual tone, and her sudden fear of Sesshomaru seemed to hint that her heart was planting roots elsewhere. Without love - especially for a demon - fear replaced it.

'No! Well - there is Jin, my employer, who has been very kind. He took me out for dinner - I have never had that before - but _his_ eyes have been watching me everywhere I turn!'

'Employer? You are already working?' Chiaki was impressed, but disturbed by Rin's apparent paranoia.

'Yes! At BLACK!'

Chiaki almost choked on the coffee she was drinking.

'Rin-san! What on Kamis earth are you doing, thats a quasi-escort business!'

'I know! Dont worry I am not in harms way, Jin-sama has been making sure I am ok. Oh no the time! Chiaki-san - I will be very glad to see you at the party. Thank you again for the number'

The line went dead, and Chiaki stared at her phone for a moment. She couldn't help butnlaugh in spite of herself.. 'Oh what a handful she is! I am glad I am not the boss, having to deal with that. I do not like the sound of her mind however. Her tone was tortured.'

Friday came and Rin was a bit late to work due to the nightmares again. She rushed in to her workplace with her uniform a bit askew, and began her duties immediately.

Friday was a busy day and as the sun began to set through the trees outside, Rin wished with all her heart that she could hold it in its path forever, to give her reprieve from her purgatory. But then she realised that also the sun burned yellow just like the eyes that would not leave her mind.

Evening came on, the milky rays of the moon slanting through the windows. Rin was glad Jin had come to help her with the girls, as the customers came in even more and the ones who had stayed on from the day were already drunk. The mezzanine above began to fill, and Rin was rushing up and down stairs, to the kitchen, to every table, as well as trying to laugh and bandy words with the clientele.

The door opened nearly every five minutes with coming and going, and each time a cool breeze snuck through, licking chilly icy tongues around Rins bare legs, though the chandeliers and fires under the grand mantlepieces burned bright and warm.

The door opened again and Ami asked Rin breathlessly if she could get it.

Rin nodded, and began weaving her way through the lascivious men and even some women, who tried calling out to her as she passed - she stopped for quite a few to smile and joke with them, her cheeks flushed and her cleavage rising and falling quite rapidly. She finally made it to the stand at the front, which held the customer ledger they had to all fill in - Rin hadn't time to look at anyone she served as her attention was caught on flipping deftly through the pages looking for a clean entry space. She held a pen aloft in her other hand as she repeated with mechanical bright sweetness:

'Welcome to Restaurant BLACK, you are invited to come and relax in our setting and enjoy our service - thank you for coming!'

She finally found a spot and glanced up with smiling eyes to only step back rapidly in shock, as though the very gaze of the customer was a force that compelled her backwards.

Bright and cold as the moonbeams through the windows, and just as mystical, the deep copper eyes of the white Demon filled Rin's vision and she had to grasp the sides of the ledger to hold herself steady. She tore her gaze from him, as he had another next to him. She was the woman with brown hair - her solemn, good looking countenance regarded Rin strangely.

For some reason Rin felt stripped naked and she wished she wasn't in such a ridiculous revealing outfit. Jin had come up to see what the problem was, putting both hands on her shoulders as he stepped behind her. He had looked from Rin, who couldn't help but to lean back helplessly in to her employer, to the customers who had disturbed her so greatly. For the first time Jin beheld a demon - and not just any. He understood why Rin had reacted the way she had. This creature was tall, lithe, visually overwhelming - intimidating and magnetic with an immediate aura of power and terror. Jin was impressed that this was Rin's husband - and knew immediately why she was in pieces over the impending divorce. This creature was all-encompassimg - commanding - not one to deny or refuse. Jin kept an arm around Rin, and bowed to Sesshomaru.

'My Lord, thank you for gracing this establishment with your presence! And - is this your lovely lady?' Jin motioned smoothly to the woman next to him.

Jin had not exactly meant his query to be an insult or innuendo, he genuinely believed Sesshomaru kept mistresses - such a creature would, surely? So he was taken aback and utterly quelled when Sesshomaru seemed to snarl.

'Do not speak to me' Sesshomaru growled. His gaze was only fixed on Rin, who was trying to look anywhere than at the face that was dismaying her so acutely. For the first time in her life, she felt such a paralyzing terror from his aura that she was speechless. His scent and voice overcame her senses - she felt as though all his faculties had her tied from head to toe.

'Rin.' The demon spoke her name with strange inflection, very different to his harsh order of silence toward Jin.

By now many people near the entrance and at the first row of tables were gazing in fascinated horror at the Evil Spirit that stood in the doorway. They quieted down, not wanting to be the dinner of the demon, his fear striking cold in their hearts.

'Can I lead you to a table for two?' Was all Rin could say, in the most hollow, changed voice - anything to break the pregnant, roiling silence - one was even so slightly better than the other.

She began moving her legs, that felt as though were a metre behind her, in order to lead the customer as she usually did to a table.

Rin weaved through the people again, and they all became silent as she passed with the power following behind her. She stopped at an empty table that was copiously decked out for a couple, with a high display of exotic flowers and wine in a cold tumbler, rose petals on the cloth. The lady that Rin already hated sat down, but the demon did not. Rin could not speak to him, she was unable to even meet his gaze. Yet somehow she knew, or felt that his arns were folded, trying to contain whatever had a hold of him - she knew his claws were out and - she knew his eyes were on her.

'The other seat is for you' Sesshomaru eventually spoke.

Rin was so extraordinarily vexed, so wildly scared and angry, that the two fought in her for a few moments before her anger flashed out and she turned suddenly to her husband, looking him right in the eye with a shocked disgust - a potent rage, her deep brown iris's sparkling like the strike of a hammer on molten iron, her hair whipped round her face.

'Who do you think you are. Bringing your mistress before me!'

Her voice was low, trembling - her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth and she panted with heat, ire and scorn. He was larger than life before her - all of the hallucinations and nightmares before her eyes - her flesh trembled on the very bones as she dared to venture her attention in to her husband's dark and pitless gaze that bore in to Rin like fire brands.

The demon only knew he had won the gaze of Rin - he could not let her avoid him. He would not.

'Rin, for once listen!' Rin looked in wide eyed shock in to Sesshomaru's face at the sudden emotion in his voice.

'It was best if you were seated when I tell you - Your mother was not killed, she survived. You may want to meet her. She has been wishing to for a while now' he swept a swift arm toward the woman Rin had believed was Sesshomaru's mistress for weeks now.

Sesshomaru's voice was so deep and gravelly it was nearly inaudible in the noise around them that had once again built up.

But Rin heard nothing.

Her eyes were fixated on the face of her mother.


	15. Chapter 15

_I know you despise me; allow me to say, it is because you do not understand me._

 _You look as if you thought it tainted you to be loved by me. You cannot avoid it. Nay, if I would, could not cleanse you from it. But if I could, I would not. I have never loved another before; my life has been too busy, my thoughts absorbed with other things. But now I love - and will love._

 _North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell_

Rin had seated herself, though she was hardly aware of the fact - she suddenly recognised something in the face before her - there was a tilt to the head - a curve to the lip - that seemed to touch a chord of memory within Rin's deeply hidden psyche.

The lady herself seemed to be equally fascinated in Rin - taking in her every feature as though she were a deer long without water, drinking from a mountain stream.

'Is this true?' Rin ventured; her voice unrecognizable to her own ears. She looked back to Sesshomaru, but her husband was not there.

'My daughter' the woman's voice broke with deep emotion.

'I had struggled for many years, I searched for you. One day I thought death had caught me up - when Lord Sesshomaru appeared bright as an angel at my dingy door. My heart nearly gave out - when he told me who he was - my lost daughter's husband! And he, my son in law! You know, I truly thought myself transported to the feudal era - or trapped in the fantasies of my own mind - when he bowed to me there in my dirt floor hovel - the grace of him was immense. I could not offer him anything. He said he himself had been searching for me, for your sake. He knew I had not quite died when the bandits raided our village and home - in fact - he said he had been the one to revive me - a sword with a power. He left me then those many years ago. Little did I know - he would return from the blue and announce who he really was. My daughter - I only built the strength to see you now. I may look young, but I am not. We have good genes! I owe a lot to your husband. Because of him, we are both alive - I get to see my daughter again - my fruitless searching for you cut short. It has pained me to see your apparent aversion to this - this wonderful man - I myself have become very fond of him, not just for the immense gift he has given us - but for who he is, and because he has loved you so well when I could not.'

Rin's glazed eyes had been turned on her hands in the clasp of her Mother's. Her mother. Her mother! Not - not his mistress. Her mother. And her words - these were her first words to her daughter after a life of seperation? Not of her, or of the past, or of Rin. She was speaking in hallowed tones of the being Rin was completely estranged from. She painted such a picture of him, that Rin's immediate, very honest question was:

'Are you speaking of the same man? This is not Lord Sesshomaru at all!'

'Oh daughter' Mrs Urihara smiled. 'It is _you_ who does not know him'

Rin felt a cold chill of an inkling of the extent of her wrongful judgements toward her husband. But he had not said a word of any of this at all to her.

'He did not communicate a word of any of this to me - that even you lived still' Rin tried to rebuff, even to her newly found mother, so strong and stubborn were her feelings on the matter.

'Oh really? Good! I asked him not to, until I was ready. I am sorry. That is my fault. How on earth did you marry such a being, my pretty daughter? I could not have wished for anyone better.'

'I was his protege, then I became his wife through a binding law that was the agreement of both our families.'

Her mother gasped 'so that is what my husband was up to, with all his political prowess! Your father was a genius, Rin. Well, he was the best judge of character, and he knew the line of Demon's we are now kin to. He had foresight, but I am sure he could not have known the way in which you two would meet, or that it was also the will of the gods.'

Rin was shaking her head slowly the entire time. For so long she had only known her truth, for so long the barbs and ice of Sesshomaru had cemented an image in her mind of an implacable indifference. As much as her mother's words scintillated her very soul, and she wished it to be true - all of this was far too much.

Her spirit rebelled against such a paradigm shift in behavior. She also sensed her mother hero worshipped Sesshomaru. Rin did feel she had sorely wronged him, believing without further evidence that this attractive older lady had been a mistress. To think of him traversing the land with what limited spare time he had - scouring towns for her own mother, bent on finding the woman who he had also saved, to present to Rin.

Though she made a study of not seeking out her husband with her eyes, Rin knew where he was and who he spoke with. She knew he was talking with Jin, far across the other side of the busy room. Though she did not want to notice him, every fibre of her being was sensitive to a point of total acuteness to him and him only.

The things her mother had told her were things of utter bliss. It was because of this she could not merit truth to most of it. It was at least obvious and undeniable that he had found and brought her mother to her. She would have to humble herself before him, apologise for her outburst, ask his forgiveness - then thank him deeply. She knew this in her heart, but her mind found it repugnant that she had been so wrong on this count, and that she had to grovel to the person who had nonetheless still hurt her deeply.

While Rin's world was being tossed upside down, Sesshomaru had been speaking rather shortly with the restaurant owner, all the while perfectly aware of every word exchanged between the two women far distant across a sea of rowdy people.

'I have heard tales from some within your - type - of industry, and by extension, political affiliates, of the rumour - no, belief in my divorce. I would rather you did not spread lies - and even more prefer your hands to not hover so - repulsively - over my wife'

Sesshomaru spoke very smoothly, but with such a look to his eye that Jin found his breath had left him.

'You do not need to lecture me' he managed to say 'with due respect to you my Lord - I have become quite acquainted with Rin-san over the fortnight, and she has told me herself of the divorce, and I deduced many reasons from her conversation as to why it was happening.'

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes.

'I do not lecture insects who have no capacity to understand any advice I may give. Don't flatter yourself. Nor do I want your respect, when you have shown such disrespect to my wife. Your respect must be a foul offering to whoever takes it. I've had enough of sleazy mindless scum like you chasing after her. The uniform you gave her - only fit to be worn behind my closed bedroom door!'

Jin's eyes gained a decidedly steely gleam and he seemed to change from his usual relaxed demeanour.

'If you do not like my respect, or my staff, or my business, you are very welcome to leave. I did not ask for you to cross my threshold and insult me. Evil demons are not welcome when they bring their foul aura with them'

Sesshomaru gazed coldly at the man for a few moments, as though deliberating, but he only sneered, his fangs showing. Jin watched in horrified transfixion as he saw the gold eyes turn a devilish and horrific glowing red, slitted and evil. He involuntarily stumbled back, and laughed nervously. Sesshomaru was normal again in a flash.

'Do not fool yourself in to thinking you can threaten time itself'

Jin felt a force of a power beyond the chinking mountains of money he envisioned, or the silk ties of the businessmen he sought to befriend - a howling wind tunnel of infinite ages seemed to open up before him as though the vision was summoned with the Demon's voice - and his mouth and pride were mortified in the face of it.

Rin had looked up at the precise moment Sesshomaru had turned and left Jin to that unfortunate man's soiled pants. There was no mistaking Jin hated and feared the creature.

Rin felt immediate annoyance - now Jin had done nothing wrong - he was no traitor. It was unjust of Sesshomaru to intimidate him. Despite the revelations of her conversation with her mother, she had genuinely hoped to befriend Jin and she did not want him estranged. She excused herself from her dear mother and made her way toward Jin. She was stopped by a man who tugged at her short skirt and she stopped, dutiful as ever.

'Hello pretty!' It was the man who two weeks ago had wanted her private services, only far more inebriated than before. Rin smiled.

'Thank you, how can I help you?'

'Oh, you know - if you could sit on my lap - ' as he spoke Rin had no idea that he would suit word with action mid sentence. She found herself pulled rather inelegantly on to his lap - his knee sharl against her backside. Rin tried to play it off, saying as she laughed:

'I can come back sir, I just have something to do first'

'Oh ho ho' the older man chuckled 'very clever but you escaped once already!' He wound an arm under her bust, forcing her breasts higher and so showing a lot more of her cleavage. All his friends laughed and toasted him. 'Caught a little brown bird!' One said.

Rin discreetly struggled against his grip, but it was a lot stronger than she would have thought. She remembered all of the times her husband had saved her in the past - she had only ever needed to call his name, and he would appear to rescue her. Now, he was really in the same building with her, and she felt a growing desperation in the pit of her stomach as the man's hands began to wander. Yet something caught in Rin's throat when she tried to summon the courage to call her husband's name.

'Are you enjoying yourself, Rin? Is that why you do not ask for me'

Rins distressed gaze looked up with sudden longing toward her husband, her mouth slightly open as she panted with exertion, her round breasts showing nearly everything but the nipple, and Sesshomaru looked down at her enigmatically.

'Let her go old fool' Sesshomaru said in a sort of amused manner to the drunk man. They finally realised who addressed them and Rin was given up in a moment.

'Oh! That makes sense!' The old man spoke loudly 'the cutest little thing I've ever seen - of course a demon has claimed her! It's always the way with you lot - taking the cream of the crop from our maids!'

Rin righted herself, re arranging her uniform.

'Thank you' she breathed in a small voice, pulling her fingers through her messed up hair.

'For what?' Sesshomaru asked, his eyes slowly scanning his wife up and down. He had read the plea in her eye and the pride in her silence.

Rin was almost glad he answered he in such an awful tone, it only justified her belief in his being far more demon than the angel her mother described.

She passed him to make her way to Jin, but did not see how his eyes closed briefly as she moved close against him, or how he turned to watch her. His eyes dulled over as he saw her go straight to the worm he had spoken with before, and begin apologising to him. Sesshomaru went to Rin's mother.

'Is she always befriending smarmy men like that?' Mrs Urihara asked.

Sesshomaru only watched his wife with a steady regard.

'How she can't see that you love her is beyond me' she went on, used to her son-in-law's silences.

'If a dashing person like you continually pried unwanted sleazy fingers off me and threatened them with death when I was young, that would be me done. Gosh I did not expect her to be so pretty by Kami. She has her father's good looks and his pride too. She has such an ingrained distrust in your goodness. Look at her, pandering over that man who would not have the worth of a speck of a dust on your shoe in comparison - '

'You know you don't have to fill the role of worshipper while Jaken is not here' Sesshomaru cut in.

Mrs Urihara chuckled 'well I need to give credit where my daughter is not!'

Sesshomaru's face held a sort of inner glow for a brief moment.

'She would rather tell me off' he said with a glimmer of a smile.

'Her father would be proud' Mrs Urihara returned, and was glad when Sesshomaru mentioned something about leaving the tedious place.

Mrs Urihara came up to Rin and pit a hand on her shoulder, Sesshomaru a little to the side.

Jin had been easing up but he became evidently unsettled as the demon met his eyes over Rin's head.

'Oh looks like your entourage is ready' Jin said to the Demon's wife. 'I will see you again?'

Rin smiled 'of course' and thanked him sincerely for the job. She went and said good bye to the girls, and they all winked and nudged at her about her husband.

'You get to go home with that? The things I'd do...' Ami chuckled.

Rin replied 'the things you wouldn't do, more like' and they laughed, but Rin knew the truth to it.

When they were outside, Rin felt the chill immediately and was cursing herself for not bringing her jacket. Out of the drowning noise of the restaurant, Rin felt even more oppressed being in the immediate presence of the one she had sought to avoid. And now a lot of the source of her anger toward him had been removed as if by magic - but she could not let go of her bitterness and fear.

'Shall we go and get your things, dear?' Her mother inquired.

Rin nodded, her focus on not focusing on her husband. She felt very small and mousy again as he stood tall and still next to her, the very person at the centre of all her nightnares and visions. The unwelcome memory of the shirtless predatorial image decided to force itself on her consciousness at that moment and she was glad for the darkness hiding her unwanted blush.

'What do you need?' Sesshomaru asked his wife.

'My things at Kagura's place' Rin answered evenly, not looking at him.

'All of it?' He countered.

Rin nodded.

She almost felt shame when he spoke to her. It was highly unwelcome.

He was gone in a flash and that was when Rin turned her eyes to where he had stood.

'My girl' Mrs Urihara smiled at her daughter 'I think you are the only human who could make a Lord of Demons move so fast for nothing important at just a cold word'

'I wish you wouldn't imply so much' Rin shook her head 'I don't know why he went. He has never cared before now. It's like he is keeping up a facade to you, in order to torture me further. Mother, I have a lot to tell you if you'd like to listen when we have time.'

'I would love to. I just want to see you happy, both of you. I think you do not yet understand each other at all, and I see it clear as day.'

Meanwhile, at Kagura's place, Sadao was inspecting a document he had been given to interpret. He did not expect his whole back yard to light up with a sudden flash and a great billowing smoke to roll through every crevice in the house.

'What in - ' the door was blown aside as a figure stepped through, and Sadao shouted 'hey that airs freezing! Who is it?'

He was quite perturbed.

The smoke settled, and Sadao gazed upon a sight so fair he nearly cried.

'The Great - Lord - Sesshomaru? Are my eyes seeing right?'

Sesshomaru merely walked straight to Rin's room and began quickly gathering her things. Sadao followed him, almost jumping with excitement.

'C-can I have a picture - an autograph? I have been an admirer for so long - the work you do is incredible - oh! I don't know if you're aware Rin-san knows that she is your power source in the other realm - your Exalted Mother's priestess appeared to her in spirit and told her - '

Here Sesshomaru finally gave some heed to the poor man.

'Do you think I don't know? I sent her'

Sadao clasped his hands before him whistling.

'Ohhh I see. But of course! You are forever a step ahead. She couldn't believe it despite the fact of the situation mind you. Gosh - Lord Sesshomaru - in my house! You are even more beautiful in person - this aura is incredible'

Sadao noted the marks of the Royal Demon on his face, the incredible power of his presence - his voluptuous mass of silver hair - the finely carved features, the cold air that surrounded him. He was there, yet he was clearly not of the world he moved in. There was a tangible sense of complete otherness about him, and he found it hard to reconcile his image of the little Rin with the embodiment of eternal power in front of him. He saw the demon was gathering Rin's belongings, and he reflected with wonder at how such a great demon was performing such a mundane task for the sake of a human. He wondered how Rin struggled so much, believing their relationship doomed.

Sesshomaru had finished and he swept past Sadao, and was nearly in the back yard when Sadao suddenly stayed him by grasping his sleeve.

'Wait! The priestess also visited me. She had given Rin this charm. She asked me to give it back to you'

Sadao handed Sesshomaru the trinket.

On it, Sesshomaru read:

'For the gift of love making' - and his eyes widened, his hand crushing the wood in to sawdust.

'I have no need for such things' he said scornfully and took off. Sadao cheered and clapped as though he had just witnessed the greatest wonder of the world.


	16. Chapter 16

Once again; your words of kindness, excitement and encouragement keep me going my beautiful readers! My guilty pleasure to write, and I hope your guilty pleasure to read ;) On with the show ;D

 _Its in the way you sell every word and phrase_

 _And leaving me to know how much the meaning weighs_

 _Studying Politics - Emery_

Rin had gone back in to the restaurant to momentarily use the bathroom before she had to leave. She stared at herself in the mirrors. She shuddered rather violently.

Oh, what was she to do? The paradox within her heart, that felt as if it were a desperately beating hummingbird thrashing to burst from its cage, tearing and scratching all flesh to pieces, and yet the same vessel of her emotions felt as if not even a summons from heaven could raise it from its dead weight, the dread she felt at being in his presence. Her prejudice against his faithfulness, her presumptions, had landed her with such guilt and a debt of gratitude that her very pride was stung beyond bearing. It had taken so much time, so much of her energy, to finally reconcile to herself his utter dislike of her, that to accept he had, over the past few years, done such a selfless and incredible thing for her was almost as difficult as believing the woman outside was really her mother.

'He bowed to me in that dirt hovel, the grace of him was immense' - that sentence of her mothers echoed back in her mind and Rin found herself trembling in the face of Sesshomaru's profound character. She could hardly imagine his pride being so disposable to him as to bow to an impoverished woman in a slum house.

She looked at her little uniform, wondering what on earth he had thought of it. She already felt vulnerable enough with him, his very presence at once burning and freezing her to the core - and on top of it, she looked like a subtle advertisement model for an adult store. She tugged at a strand of her hair, wondering also what he thought of the very noticeable change in her hairstyle.

She knew, when she stepped out of the bathroom again, that she would have to face him again. She suddenly thought of Sadao back at Kagura's, and wished she could have seen his reaction when the Demon landed. She giggled despite herself.

Rin did wonder deeply at Sesshomaru's service to her now - just collecting her things, for what reason? Had he felt such a loss of control over her the past two weeks that he had to immediately disable her independence again? Rin kicked herself at the bitter thought. The man had just reunited her with her mother who she had thought dead! He had obviously lost no time making a deep impression on Rin's parent - and the little woman wondered what he could get out of such an effort to ingratiate himself with her mother. Once again she had to bite back her bitterness. It was all very well for everyone to assume their marital felicity - but they were not the ones who knew what happened when doors were closed, and Rin was always left alone. Had she been a weaker person she would have remained in the phase of being grateful to be in his presence; but it was not in Rin's nature to merely feel 'grateful' in love. She must have full reciprocation - or utter alienation.

When Rin finally breathed and went outside again, she made her way to the front area of the restaurant where her mother sat and waited. Rin, to her chagrin, was again detained by the same old man who wrapped an arm around her, pulling her back. Rin almost passed out at just one smell of the man's breath, which was akin to inhaling the compressed contents of three breweries.

'Ahh, Demon girl! What's it like, eh, fucking a demon? You must - ' he swayed violently 'only be with him for his cock -' he burped 'there's no other reason for a flower like you to be with such evil - other than he's fucking you senseless like the slut you are'

Rin was extremely angered this time, and she began clawing at his hands to try and get free. His words were vile and she could barely speak from the shock of his gross statements. Suddenly a thing like a neon whip sliced through the air and the old man began spluttering and choking - Rin fell to the ground and looked up, she saw Sesshomaru was walking through a cloud of thick mist toward her, his venom whip raising the disgusting old man from his seat, choking him round his neck. The man began screaming - his friends fled.

It wasn't long before the cockroach was thrown aside like a dish cloth.

Rin's mother had rushed to her, helping her up.

'Time to go home' said the older woman. Rin could only curl up in her mother's arms as Sesshomaru reached them, carrying two bags in one hand.

Rin just wanted to be away - away from anywhere he was - she was tired of fighting, tired of the constant talk and visions of him, tired of him always being there no matter where she was. She hated what the old man had said, she wished the constant association with Lord Sesshomaru would just cut off and never be mentioned again. She hid her face in her Mother's arm and Sesshomaru said;

'You go with her on the plane'

Mrs Urihara looked at her son-in-law's slightly frowning face, and the way his gaze rested on Rin's head. She felt the absolute taught shiver in her daughter's frame and nodded her head. Sesshomaru dropped the bags and he disappeared again, leaving an utter mess of strewn chairs and a half dead man behind him. Jin had not dared to reprimand him - as he with most others still sober enough to take notice - had been struck dumb with the blinding vision of the demon descending, bearing down on the man who was harrassing Rin and throwing him aside all in the space of seconds. There was a collective nervous laugh and sigh of relief as the Evil Spirit left again without a sound or trace.

Rin peeked out of her Mother's embrace to also sigh gladly that the demon had left.

'I was going to kick that disgusting creep if your husband hadn't arrived back at the right time' Mrs Urihara stated. 'The taxi should be here soon my dear' Rin smiled tightly, just glad to be held by her mum.

It seemed the ambulance arrived along with the taxi, and the mother and daughter left quickly as the servicemen rushed in to the restaurant with stretchers and paraphernalia.

'He gave him exactly what he deserved' her mother stated as they drove away.

'I could have dealt with it in a far less violent manner' Rin stated in a quiet voice.

'Oh but you know Sesshomaru' Mrs Urihara laughed. 'I was surprised he didn't do the same thing to the old creep the first time he had a hand on you'

Rin shook her head. 'I wanted independence - to experience things good and bad without him always interfering and controlling every situation'

'Oh Rin dear, I am afraid when you marry a demon you aren't signing up for complete autonomy. They are dark beings who, when they are focused on something, guard it with extreme jealousy'

'I am glad we get this time alone Okaasan. I may be able to let you know some of my side. I know you think he is wonderful. I do too - Kami knows I followed him wherever he went. I have been in love with him for years. Marrying him was an incredible, unimaginably happy time for me. But though you see his protection of me, and though he has done something beautiful for us both in this reunion - he is a dog in the manger. He doesn't want me; he never has - he was kind and distant before we married - but since that day he has been extremely removed - hateful - he has made it clear that love is something he does not know; least of all towards me. So any act on my behalf makes no sense to me - it is unwelcome and intrusive.'

To her credit Mrs Urihara did not immediately shake her head or dismiss Rin despite her extremely favourable experiences with Lord Sesshomaru. She saw the anguish in her daughter's face and it spoke volumes to her. As for herself, she recalled the long nights spent alone as her husband was away for months on end with his work - she had felt a depressed weight of desperate loneliness in those times. It reminded her of those feelings as she looked in to Rin's eyes, that pain reflected there deeply in the pretty brown gaze. Her motherly heart squeezed as she guessed at what had happened to make Rin so miserably hopeless.

Lord Sesshomaru had travelled home his own way - as a bolt of light through the higher realm.

He landed in his grounds rather haphazardly, stumbling, his hair wild around his glowing form. He was panting, phasing in and out of his transformation stages. Finally, he flung in the air and materialised violently in to the gigantic white hound, growling with such loud force the nearby trees half flattened as his great paws pounded the earth. From one of the windows in the mansion Jaken watched this transpire.

'He must have just returned from Sendai' he muttered to Pepper. 'My guess is he saw what Rin had got herself in to. I don't know what else could have made him so enraged. That silly Rin, I don't know how she thought she could go around doing things very unbecoming to the wife of a Royal Demon like Sesshomaru' he watched as the Demon Hound flung off as though he were being torn from the inside, disappearing in the night.

Rin and her mother arrived the next morning, and it was Rin who was really exhausted. She had stayed awake on the flight just to watch her mother's face as the older lady slept, leaving Rin to reflect on the years she had agonised over her parents and losing them, trying for countless nights to scratch together any memory she had of them before Sesshomaru. Now here was her mother, and Rin was fixed on her every feature, the way she breathed and moved in her sleep, feeling a primal familiarity with everything about her. She did not want to close her eyes lest when she opened them again her newly regained parent was gone again and she had not memorized every line in her face.

She really would need to thank her husband, despite everything.

Jaken opened the door to them at the mansion and narrowed his eyes at Rin's appearance.

'I see you've been introduced to your mother' he grunted 'Lord Sesshomaru did a lot of searching to find her again'

'I - I know Jaken' Rin bent down as Pepper came flying round the corner out of the ante chamber and catapulted herself in to Rin. Rin, despite the storm in her soul, laughed loudly as she was covered in licks, unable to get up off the ground due to Pepper's larger size comparative to even a couple of weeks ago and enthusiasm at seeing her owner.

'This is my first time in your home! It is magical!' Mrs Urihara addressed the demon who had silently approached them.

Pepper went to dance about the Spirit and Rin looked up from the ground, her laughter fading as Sesshomaru's eyes lifted to look at her.

'You must be tired, Rin's mother' Jaken said, feeling uncomfortable, grasping at uncharacteristically generous straws to dissipate the tension in the air. 'I will show you to your room if you would like to follow me'

'Oh thank you' Mrs Urihara was very grateful at the thought of a bed. This mansion was befitting the grand demon and she glanced back at Rin, hoping that her daughter would realise that her skirt was caught in her underwear, before she turned a corner in to a cavernous hall following Sesshomaru's servant demon.

Pepper whined as Sesshomaru did not pay any attention to her. He was struggling with the sweet, musky scent of Rin, and his hands became fists at his sides.

He wore his traditional clothing, his voluminous MokoMoko trailing behind him.

Rin propped herself up on her elbow, and got up, the tiredness making her eyes droop, and her skin look quite pale so that some of her nose freckles stood out even more.

'I - I must get out of this ridiculous outift' she mumbled, unable to bring herself to thank her husband then and there.

Sesshomaru's eyes flickered.

'What were you thinking' he growled, causing Rin to immediately feel cold all over.

She looked down and away to the side, her face slowly growing redder and redder. Here it came, the lecture and the controlling anger. Unfortunately for Rin, her bodily tiredness had numbed a lot of her senses and she just did not have the energy to fight him.

'I - I wanted to work, to earn my own money.'

The Demon cursed under his breath. He devoured every detail about her, the darkness under her eyes, the lashes that dropped over her melting brown iris's, the strands of her dark hair that stuck to one of the lashes as she blinked - her ruffled head, the slightly open lips that were paler than their usual pink, the curve of her neck and the small rounded shoulders, with the pushed up, creamy mound of her breasts framed by the frill of the blouse, and he could hear the erratic heart beat under them. His eyes went from glittering gold to a deep, dark amber. He took half a step forward.

'That's not what I mean' he growled again.

Rin seemed to shrink in to herself.

'Please - ' she said, in such a weak tone she hated herself 'let me at least rest before you tell me off'

Sesshomaru had her against the wall by now, and one of his hands slammed against the wall above her head as his gaze burned down at her.

'Rin, - Rin - am I so disgusting to you? You would rather lowlifes grope you - Rin - ' he said her name over as though he was possessed by his own evil spirit, as though the name burned on his immortal tongue.

Her chest heaved with sudden panic at his flaming aura, the advancing heat and power of his body towering over her, his fur spilling round her; - breathless, compelled, undone - she escaped his closeness and strange, strange passion - and ran off to the far corner of the mansion where her room was.

What - what had that been? Rin tried to see clearly through her exhaustion, the hot cold waves that came over her, the sound of his voice just now burning her ears, his body looming over hers - his eyes that had glowed so hot she felt as though her face was before the heart of a furnace.

She shook her head, she put a shaking sweaty hand to her forehead. She needed sleep. What had just happened - shook the very earth under feet - her legs were numb, she throbbed with a desire in spite of herself. What had been his words? Torn from him, he had dared to believe she preferred anyone but him to touch her - the one she burned for - as though she did not pant in his very presence - her mind dissolve in to all but trembling passion, lust -

She remembered that the party was tonight - 11 hours from now.

She at least had to thank him, before she left for good that night. This marriage would never be redeemable - she was doubled up on her conviction - that he was a very poison to her, and she to him.


	17. Chapter 17

Rin had a short nap, forcing herself awake. She woke up covered in a film of sweat. Was she unwell? Perhaps she was - the physiological effects of her mental and emotional turmoil were showing. She had a headache of tension around her forehead and the back of her neck - she kneaded it with her fingers as she tried to desperately control her hammering heart, recalling Sesshomaru's behavior and words only three hours previous. She had to go and thank him, before the party - before her resolve crumbled; it would be worse for her pride in the end to not thank him - as it would feel unnatural to her character to not recognise such a wonderful act of kindness, even if it was from someone she least expected it from.

She changed finally, in to some clean clothes from her closet - just a light dress over her warm skin. She looked at herself in the mirror, and cleaned her makeup off. She would leave her face bare for now, to let her skin breathe. She looked much younger and much fresher straight away, but on the inside she still churned with so many extreme emotions she had to will herself to walk out of her bedroom and down the hallway.

Sesshomaru had heard her awaken, heard her light footsteps and smelt her long before, so that when she raised her hand to knock he had already bid her to enter.

Rin didn't look at him - she knew if she did her initial purpose would fail. Yet she knew he was by the window, and he himself had his back turned to her.

'Lord Sesshomaru - I know you are angry with me. But I must say this before I forget, or - (she was going to say leave, but she could not) - I am late in thanking you - for everything you did for my mother. My joy, and gratitude is so deep, it is hard to express even the beginning of how - how much I am indebted to you - ' she closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm her heart. She wiped her hands on her dress, clutching the material.

Sesshomaru remained where he was, his every sense trained on Rin.

'You need not thank me' he said in a low, gruff voice; 'I did not do it for your mother'

Rin was again stung by his tone - which seemed to have an intentional inflection of spite to it.

She was determined to remain calm. 'You can take it however you wish, but for my part, this is how I feel; and I had to let you know - you cannot pretend it is not a beautiful thing'

Sesshomaru turned his head ever so slightly toward her. He felt a sense of her softness again.

'Then I made you happy?' His voice carried to her, and Rin was struck at how suddenly innocent it sounded, almost like a child looking for approval - or a dog, hoping for his owner's praise.

She was quiet for some moments, her breath shuddering at his silent grace before, in opposition to the very unsual tone he had taken on.

'Yes' she almost whispered.

She couldn't stay; or she would cry, or run, or do something stupid and untoward.

She just had one more thing to say, in her last private meeting with him.

'You were wrong by the way' she said, her voice a little stronger now - 'I do not prefer other men to touch me' she couldn't say more - she knew the inference was clear - but she was scared of what he may or may not do with her confession. She had softened in that moment, and her guilt still tugged at her for mis-judging him, that she had to correct him on at least that one point. She felt it would make little or no difference - whatever she was to him - whatever his words had meant earlier - she knew she was still the smallest speck in his whole existence, despite the spirit tide stories.

Sesshomaru still faced away, still as a statue.

'Rin, why are you awake, when you so unwell?' His voice had reverted to its usual distant tone.

'I - I had to tell this to you -'

'So imperatively?'

Rin wondered what he was getting at and didn't quite know how to answer - his observation of her physical state without looking at or touching her surprised her again, as it always did. Was it a scent that he could pick up? She never knew, but felt embarrassed at the thought of what her scent could be to him. It was probably good she did not know. His next words, however, stole her breath.

'You are still leaving me, aren't you?' She gazed at the back of his silver white head, her power of speech suspended.

The Demon finally moved, his graceful movements gathering certain papers together on his desk. Without looking at his wife, he said:

'If you come here, all you need to do is sign this - '

Rin felt glued to the spot. Was he - was he so telepathic, that he had read her intentions so precipitately? That he was even prepared with the official documentation? He had procured divorce papers so easily, and now Rin was faced with the cold hard truth of her decision. But now she most certainly could not back down from her conviction.

Like a figure carved from ice, she walked so painfully slowly to his desk. He still did not watch her, but held out a pen for her.

Rin walked round the chair on the other side of the great desk to where her husband was, and sat down at the edge of it. She took the proferred pen, her fingertips grazing his. She stared down at the papers, and she could not help but read the words before her, it was of course a lot of fine print, and there was a surprisingly large list of things that Rin found suddenly fascinating to read.

Sesshomaru's eyes slowly lifted to dare to watch his wife's face. He saw her eyes reading the document thoroughly for a good five minutes. His eyes widened slightly; - a great big tear drop had fallen from her face on to the paper.

Rin herself was shocked and rubbed an annoyed hand at her eyes, sniffling.

Sesshomaru made no sign he had noted every movement and emotion of hers.

Rin poised the pen to sign along the dreaded line, but once she did, her great watery tear had ruined the paper there so that her signature was nothing but a messy blob of ink.

'Oh dear' she mumbled thickly 'I - I'll need a new copy - '

'Rin'

Sesshomaru's voice was quiet - compelling.

She dared not look up, but became still save for her attempts to control her ragged breathing.

'Rin - why do you need a new copy?'

She looked down in to her lap, where she had her hands held tight together. She puzzled over his seemingly inane question - and why did he stand there still?

'So I can sign it properly' she replied softly, though the answer was obvious.

'Why are you signing it?' He asked after a moment.

Rin wondered why on earth he was asking such evident queries, but her breath still caught in her throat.

Sesshomaru was looking so hard at her, it was as though he could see her very thoughts running through her mind. His senses were filled with her smell - there was a desire there, that he had missed for a while...

'So - so I can divorce you' Rin found the words very difficult to say so bluntly to him, but it was the only answer there was to his question. They burned in her own ears, and the tear trails down her cheeks would betray her.

Sesshomaru leaned slightly on the desk with his hands, bending so slightly toward his little wife. His hair fell over his shoulders like a moonlit curtain.

'And why - are you divorcing me?' His voice had dropped to a low frequency, as though he spoke from somewhere deep inside.

Rin's heart rate was ever increasing, and she was desperate to know where these questions tended. She kept her eyes even more firmly in her lap, cursing the tear that dropped. Rin felt the air become static, and she shivered.

How on earth was she to answer this question - what was she meant to say? That - that she needed him, loved him dearly, and wanted him - body and soul? And she was divorcing him because these things were not met?

She felt so trapped, so pinned down by him - even though he did not hold her physically - she was detained by his spirit.

Would she leave, if she could - she may; - but here she wished to try and respect him with an answer - and dignify herself by responding.

'I - I can only answer - my Lord - and say, it is a conflict of - of interests - '

'What are your interests that are so in conflict with mine?'

Sesshomaru seemed unrelenting, and Rin had never seen him in such a mood - today, his entire behavior - was very out of character and it had thoroughly thrown her off. Now, now he asked another question upon the very topic she had hoped her previous answer had deflected. She would have to place her words very carefully, or she would sting herself severely and lay bare her soul. Sesshomaru's eyes gleamed as he was transfixed by her face, her hair endearingly falling around her face, sticking up in places.

'My interests - I wish for the sun, - but it is always out of reach'

It sounded stupid as she said it, and she wished she had not once she did. But there it was, the riddle for what it was worth was not very difficult to understand at all.

Rin could not believe she had said such a thing to the being she had meant it for - her sun, her burning Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru seemed to lean a bit further, his head slightly tilting, his ears pricked, as though everything about her was a sacred mystery, and he was attuned to divining her secrets.

'And how can I bring the sun to you?'

Rin's throat had a sudden lump in it, and the question caused her lip to tremble. Oh, oh - if only he knew what he caused within her - if only he knew what these questions meant - was her next answer to be so obvious? Was she to spell it out to him? Was he toying with her - did he know long before this all of her answers, as he always knew long before of everything else? Surely he was not ignorant on this point alone - he could bring the sun to her, if he gave her his heart; -. Rin found herself unable to speak for a few moments, till she answered;

'You cannot' she replied with a trembling softness.

'You know you only ever have to ask me, and it will be done for you - ' the demon raised a hand momentarily, as if he was going to touch her; - but he did not. Rin's heart beat thrice as fast at such soft words that he spoke to her just now.

'This is not something you can bring, my Lord - you cannot go to a supplier, and drop it in my lap and walk away - this is not what I mean - I talk of something immaterial, that once it is given, it cannot be returned or refunded - '

Sesshomaru was obsessed with each word that his wife spoke; he was poised and taut, every fibre within him focused solely on Rin.

'Then- ' he ground out, gruff and jagged, 'I am the master of the immaterial - I am spirit itself - speak! I can give you what you desire - if the answer is not in your mother, or another man, I must know. You will not go without. Not you.'

Rin dared to bring her eyes up to the desk, and fall, amazed on his right hand that rested there, as both rested there - his body poised toward her. She had not heard words like this before - they felt like cold fresh rain from a high mountain washing over her - she only desired such passion from him - she held to it as though it would come, then go again as fast as a dream. How was she to hold him in this moment? How was she to keep him speaking such words of beauty to her alone?

'My Lord - ' she noted the long tapered fingers, the claws retracted, the blue veins underneath, but cold - pale - the well formed wrist and prominent bone structure - the rippling muscle of the beginning of his forearm, though it was all at once slender. He was so close...

' - I say again - I am sure you cannot give it - for is it not true, that Demon's do not possess a heart?'

The clock on the wall seemed to have no hands, nor did the sunlight through the windows seem to shift and change as it usually did - the air was still more than the air of the netherworld, and Rin only heard her rapid breathing. She had said it - there it was - there was the poetry that had been locked away in her soul.

'You are right' Sesshomaru said, but added in a moment; 'I do not have it, for it already belongs to someone else'

Rin's eyes flew to his, and by the intense glow in them, as they stared without hesitation in to hers, she knew what he meant by 'someone else' - he meant her.

'It's what everyone keeps saying - ' Rin breathily spoke, as though all her oxygen had left her lungs and sat constrained in her throat - out of body - ' - that y-you - you loved me - '

Rin's face finally went a deep glowing red as she said the words, staring meltingly right in to his face - 'but you have not - ' Rin could not finish that sentence - that part was unable to be said as she was held prisoner by his scorching eyes that did not deny any love.

'I have not - ?'

Rin searched his face, a look of pleading in her eyes.

'Oh Sesshomaru-sama - must you torture me still?' Her tone had broken in to a passionate burst - the Demon inwardly rejoiced that he had finally won her beautiful passion again.

Sesshomaru could not help it, even if he had wanted to - he caught the side of her face with his hand - she leant in to it, closing her eyes, grasping the cool hand with both of her own.

'Silly Rin' he half growled, 'I would deign touch you, when the free spirit you are - was locked in to an arrangement you had no say in? I wished for you to choose, every step of the way, which life you wanted to lead - desiring my own will over you was vanity - you are the source of my love and compassion - I could not hold you, the more I loved you - the more I wanted you as mine - the greater was my desire to see you go if that was your wish - you have long held the heart you are now asking for. - ' his hand was becoming covered with tears - he stroked her cheek with his thumb, wiping at the wetness.

'I would rather have burned my hand off - than touched you while you were trapped at my side'

His nose filled with such a powerful wave of her scent that he panted.

'Oh Sesshomaru-sama - many nights, I wanted you - ' Rin's voice was choked with emotion.

'You wish for me - you want me - ?' Sesshomaru spoke in half hope, half fear - her entire approval was needed for him to be certain.

Rin could only nod in to the hand that held her face, her mind so overwhelmed she could only take his words as they came - they caused such an explosion of her heart and arousal that she let out a series of shuddering sighs, and she turned the hand over that stroked her cheek, and began kissing it passionately with her soft lips. So this was the reason - this was his torture - she loved him then, more than she ever had yet. How much she had to talk to him about, how much she had to ask.

'LORD SESSHOMARUUUUU' Jaken came bursting in the door without ceremony, and he actually shrieked even louder at the sight of ardour in front of him - 'I'M SORRY LORD SESSHOMARU - RIN - OH MY GOODNESS THE ONE TIME I DON'T KNOCK - ' the imp shielded his eyes as though he was seeing something disgusting.

Sesshomaru had stood straight again, but he moved around the desk and stood next to Rin, who also rose, her eyes luminous as they watched her husband with every movement. So suddenly, things had changed - she had entered there in despair - and now her heart had been given a hope beyond compare. Sesshomaru ordered Jaken to speak - finding it difficult through his extremely aroused spirit and body.

'Oh my Lord - theres dozens and dozens of people turning up here - do you know of anything?'

Sesshomaru's brows drew together and he looked at his wife - Rin, despite their sudden intimate closeness - paled a little at the perturbance in her husband's look - he instantly felt Rin recoil.

'Do you know about this?' He asked her, but softly. He read an inner knowledge in her face.

Rin looked down at Jaken, who was looking at her with both jealousy and suspicion.

'Yes, I invited them' Rin said with brutal honesty. She couldn't avoid it, the truth was her friend - she knew Sesshomaru immediately could tell a lie from reality.

'Oh yes?' Sesshomaru's voice held a sort of scary humor to it, 'and what for?'

Rin locked eyes with Jaken, daring the imp to say something snarky.

'For you' Rin tilted her head toward her husband.

'Oh!' The Demon seemed to be putting on an air of restrained calm 'you know me so well after all, my dear - masses of people is just what I like, especially now'

Apart from the fact he had called her 'my dear' albeit in a sarcastic manner, which made her heart palpitate, Rin stuck to her story.

'Oh well that's good!' She faced Sesshomaru with an equal air of ironic good humuor - 'I am glad I organised it then'

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at her, his gaze decidedly evil.

'Jaken' he gritted out, not breaking the gaze with his wife - 'go and greet our guests'

Jaken scurried off, not without saying 'Rin you are always doing the wrong thing!' And he was rewarded with a book thrown at him.

'Sesshomaru-sama - ' Rin took a deep breath and continued, 'I thought you needed some recognition from everyone you work with, or have helped. You rarely do get appreciated'

'Rin' the demon eventually ground out, suddenly approaching her till she had to look up at his face 'the only appreciation I need is from my wife - and just now I have won it after years of hell - and still she conspires to cut my joy short'

Rin went deep red.

'I - I didn't have any idea of this happening - I was going to leave for good after tonight - '

'I know and I was going to let you, until you started saying those wonderful words - '

'You knew everything didn't you?'

'Everything? You are everything. And I could never know you - until this evening'

Rin did what she had longed to do many times - she raised a small hand, and placed it against the Demon's face. He was cold to the touch, but strangely had a warmth underneath, that was not the product of blood - but of an inner fire.

'Sesshomaru' she sighed 'my - my _darling_ \- '

He was mesmerized by her, her little hand was so endearingly placed. His throat let out a low growl of frustrated intention.

'You would not be safe from me' he ground out 'if you hadn't called this confounded horde of dying flesh to my house'

Rin went crimson, and let out a nervous laugh, the inference making her hot all over. The Demon could smell her arousal and his mouth filled with saliva.

'You unearthly minx' he tipped her chin - studying her face. 'I can touch her - just like this? She calls me darling - in such delicious tones; - And I am allowed to feel her warmth against me - Rin. You have made me - the happiest I have ever felt'

She burned under his touch, his words swept over her like a wave of tingling shivers. She felt as though she would be swallowed by his passion, and she began to wonder what on earth he would do to her now he could touch her - his long built self imposed prison opened just by some hope giving words from her. How terribly undeserving she felt, how she had done so little to earn this great, wonderful Spirit's tenderness - so rarely seen, even more rarely won. She had so much to bare to him - so many words rose to her tongue, but she did not have the time to say them.

'Troublesome girl' he sighed above her - 'on the 12th as well. Did you know - tonight is the worst possible night for any of this to happen'

'What, why?' Rin had been soaking up his closeness with delicious savour. But she did not like the tone of his voice.

'My Mother left a curse on me hundreds of years ago - this night - I lose my power. You may not want to see me. I become - different.'

Rin gasped, looking up at him with a worry twisting her features. Her heart sank.

'Oh darling! What can I do?'

He smiled wryly at her utter, open adoration in her eyes and entire body.

'You can either stay with me - but be warned it is unpleasant. Or you can wait for me to return to normal.'

'Of course I'll stay with you! How I am so - so stupid. Why do I do things?' Rin grasped at her hair in anguish. Sesshomaru took both her hands, put them together, and kissed the fingers.

'Do not worry. I can only hope no one is here tonight that will threaten me while I am powerless.'

'You must be very angry with me' Rin observed 'you are hiding it well'

'I am angry I cannot strip you where you stand' he muttered in a tone so passionate she gasped and looked at him with burning cheeks. So were these the sorts of things that ran through his mind? She shuddered with an anticpation and nervous desire.

'Sessho - maru - ' she could not even have dreamt those words being spoken to her by him. It was unbelievably hot. He bent and kissed her cheek, softly. She shuddered, feeling as if every moment was stolen from a happy ending she did not deserve.

'When will this loss of power happen?' She breathed, falling against his chest.

'8:15. The time she left us centuries ago'

Rin dared to put her arms around him - she was so happy to just smell his scent so closely, she panted with the strength of her feelings.

'I will not leave you. Never.' Feeling her entire being fill with what felt like the gods telling her she was where she belonged - her spirit finally at peace, she said in soft resounding tones:

'I love you'.

The Demon's eyes above her widened as he heard her say the words that he had always wished to hear, and believed he never would.

'What was that?' Sesshomaru needed to hear it again. Rin repeated herself, but Sesshomaru put a hand to her face, angling her gaze toward him. Her sweet face was so adorable it made his heart ache within him.

'I love you' she said so sweetly for a third time, and the Demon gazed in her eyes, bending to meet her lips with his in a passionately tender carress - a moan escaping his animal spirit deep within as he tasted the woman he loved for the first time.


	18. Chapter 18

Sorry my lovelies it will be a few weeks before the next update, I have a backpiece tattoo commission and also illustrating a dark poetry book as well as having a tattoo artist from Cali coming to stay! Busy times. Sorry to keep the suspense going D; love you all x


	19. Chapter 19

I am so glad you all liked the tension burst moment! I was struggling to come up with a scenario but as usual, I just started typing and the characters guided me where they wanted to go! Now, to wave my evil wand and stir angst once again :)

Be _with me always—take any form—drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! it is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!_

 _Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte_

Rin's body trembled, her chest leant in to him as she herself could not hold her weight. His lips, even his tongue that so delicately explored her mouth, tasted of his very essence, she breathed in his breath, his life - the taste was strong and the compressed flavour of all the faint scents she had ever savoured about him - a fresh earthen sweetness, but mostly - the strong taste now in his saliva of a dog deeply aroused, a salty, sexual taste that caused all Rin's sensitive areas to enlarge, flow with wetness, her nipples erect as they brushed hard against his clothing; her breathing erratic, she looked in shy wonder at him as Sesshomaru broke from her for a moment, lest he tear her to shreds then and there. Her responses were delectable, he ached to taste every inch of her as his nose was heavy with the smell of the pulsating wetness between her legs - and claim her as his.

The sounds of guests below reached them and Rin knew she had to tear herself from this moment, this very window of time surely stolen from heaven itself - so aroused was she, Rin knew she would need to change or everyone would smell her. In order to move away, she had to quite literally run from her husband, his gaze aflame with such encompassing, threatening demon lust that she was driven back, and had to fling herself bodily from the situation; her soul overwhelmed by the fervent ardour she read there, and what he may have done next.

Feeling her soft breasts pressed up to him, devouring her every lustful moan, Sesshomaru's every sense had become blank, yet so acute that he knew he was seconds from forgetting his contained form and doing things to Rin that even she would not guess at. There she was, the luscious woman he had always watched, and loved from his very core, traced every curve of her outline with his eyes - searched her mind through her eyes - wanted her each night with a burning so intense he had cried in pain. Now she was huddled up against him - where she had been so distant and out of reach - now the full, gorgeous white chest was pressed to him, where he had fought to remain contained when he had seen her in revealing outfits - or when he had healed her more private wounds - now those lips he had studied and almost willed to smile, speak to him; - kiss him! - were by some miracle massaging against his own in gently pulling, wet strokes - her smell beckoning the beast of him to utterly ravish her. This was his Rin who moved so enticingly against him, this was the woman who had entirely bewitched him - and thought would never be his to touch so preciously.

It was even harder to stand there, staring at her as she backed away from him, a threat in his eyes he made no effort to conceal, and let her go than it ever had been. Rin dared to cut off the beginning satiation of the Demon's one lust, and there were consequences that were too fearful to imagine.

He had stood there, as long as it took her to run back to her room, panting heavily - cursing her for bringing an en masse of people to the mansion at such a time as this, cursing his beast to order it back down - with incredible strength to lash the internal bonds around it again - cursing the claws that cut deep in his palms with poison flowing - as he brought his fists up, and in a movement so invisibly fast planted a blow in to his office wall, leaving a steaming gaping hole in the solid brick.

Rin sank trembling on her floor, reeling - going over and over and over what had just happened - her very soul wanting only to run back to him and dare the danger that had flickered with such bewildering carnality that she had to gasp for air. And all this - in only a kiss from him. She quickly ran cold water over herself in the shower, all at once incredibly shy of Lord Sesshomaru, knowing what had just transpired, feeling all of a sudden so pliable and vulnerable toward him, with such tender loving kindness that she shook - yet now both had made it known of their feelings for each other - the accompanying fire of long withheld and suppressed lust made her quail within her spirit - knowing his immense power and force of character - she dared not think of what else lay hidden within his eternal being when it came to the lust of the body.

She dressed herself in the dress she had worn clubbing - she suddenly wanted to entice Sesshomaru even more than ever - she wanted to make him stare at her; - this dress came up to the neck in a choker style but had a large triangular cut out at the cleavage area, showing most of it. It clung to her thick white thighs with teasing suggestion. She brushed her hair, ruffled it slightly in a sexy manner, and applied light makeup - a subtle blush, and a touch of deep pink on her lips, then slid on some heels. She was equally troubled by the revelation of her beloved's loss of power impending, and she cut herself up inwardly over her ignorance of his being. Evidently he must have 'been away' every other time he had suffered this and never said a word of it to her. Now, she would be there with him, she would love him no matter what happened - how he looked, what he said.

Rin went down the hallway, and was about to reach the top of the stairs when she felt a hand on her shoulder and Sesshomaru was there - he had been waiting.

His eyes did exactly as she hoped - hungrily tore up and down her body and he said in a thick voice:

'You evil little sprite - first you run away from me, now you come before me in this bit of fabric? You must be sent to me from the gods as a test of my self control.'

He softly pinched her chin, and offered his arm to her. Rin gathered what rationality she had left and hung on to it for dear life.

'I can't believe, you are next to me - you love me' she half whispered in a voice of amazement.

Sesshomaru glanced side ways down at her, his eyes dwelling on her exposed cleavage.

'Don't mock my own depth of disbelief' he smiled crookedly 'to think that Rin loves this depraved spirit'

They descended the third flight of stairs, one away from the last descent to where the loud noise of the crowd issued from in the main ball room.

Rin could only stare up at him, drinking in his profile and occasional gaze with a deep wonder.

They reached the landing where they could see the guests below - like Sesshomaru the men were wearing suits, and the women various colourful outfits of silk and satin.

'They are all here to thank you' Rin said to him, and by that point many had noticed the couple - and from the ground Chiaki and Kei looked up with such amazement that they spluttered in to their champagne glasses.

'Holy Kami Kei they are glowing!'

Chiaki was not the only one to notice the profound change in the demon and his wife - they were standing at the top of the grand staircase - Rin was holding on as if to life itself to the Demon beside her, and from his face came such a glow in his eyes that everyone on the floor - every guest, bowed, silenced by the grave splendour of his presence.

The couple descended the final flight of stairs, and Rin had tears blurring her vision. This is what she had wanted. Everyone to see him as she did - as a wonderful creature of glory.

Chiaki came up to Rin immediately.

'Rin - what - such change!'

Rin smiled a bit groggily 'oh Chiaki.' She cried 'he loves me!'

'Well of course he does!' Chiaki laughed, hugging her.

When they parted slightly from their hug, Chiaki saw that the little demon wife's eyes were following every move of the White Dog Spirit. Rin said in hushed whispers:

'Chiaki, do you get all sweaty when you're near Kei?'

Chiaki laughed.

'After a long night if you know what I mean' she nudged Rin, whose face deepened to a cherry colour.

'He kissed me'

There was hardly a second before Chiaki let out a resounding 'YES' that made numerous people pause and turn their heads.

Rin couldn't help but burst in to a giggle, not even caring that others stared at her and the red headed secretary. But alas, Rin had not been keeping a very careful eye on the clock, as it was not very long before her beloved husband would be in a direful situation.


	20. Chapter 20

Guysss once again so sorry. Life is extremely stressful and I am sure you all understand. Being broke as hell while trying to afford my own house isn't working out very much, but luckily I am with my soul mate who continues to inspire me with ideas for this story (the way he treats me shows through in some of Sess and Rin's interactions). But my boy has glorious long black hair instead of silver and blue instead of golden eyes ;) here's another chapter for you patient lovely readers.

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The guests just kept arriving at a steady rate, flowing through the massive doors of the ball room in a shining procession of satins and silks; evened out by the sleek shimmer of velvet and tulle. Bright white smiles flashed on people's faces as champagne glasses clinked in greeting and laughs erupted as many groups of people caught up. Rin had been whisked from Chiaki to a group of ladies who were partner's and plus one's, looking to either ingratiate themselves with the little lady or ask where she got such a daring outfit from - they asked where she found out the short messy hair cut was in fashion and who her stylist was - and my! Where did she get such a luscious gloss from?

Rin had such a brimming glow about her it was no wonder the ladies were asking so many questions to try and figure out what magical ingredient Rin had added to her wardrobe. Alas, it wasn't material acquirement that bestowed her with such ethereal light, but the inner spring of passionate love that had finally been met with and made mutually known with her beloved husband.

As though feeling his eyes, Rin's heavy lidded desire ridden gaze turned constantly to him though he may be across the bustling room, to find she met also with his light piercing look laced with the hotness of the sun. Each time she met his eyes Rin flushed a delicious red and she felt a dizzy light headedness, and she had to inquire to catch up on the conversation around her.

She burned to be alone with Sesshomaru.

The band who had been practicising now signalled the beginning of the first dance, and the floor of people subsided to the balconies, gardens and sides of the expansive hall to allow for couples to take up the centre of the room in order to waltz lightly and quickly round the dance floor.

Rin was wondering how on earth she would find her husband in such a morass of beings, and just as the first steps were about to be taken by the dozens upon dozens on the floor she felt her waist encircled from behind and she was caught up against her husband's solid chest, her breasts pressed close to his torso and his warm clawed hand gripping deliciously around her waist.

White hair seemed to form a curtain round her and she almost felt cut off from the sound and the people that surrounded them - all she could see, hear - smell, was Lord Sesshomaru, and she felt his passion like his embrace around her. Rin was so light headed she had not yet looked him in the face so powerful was his aura. She knew his golden eyes were burning down at her and yet just his scent of pure intoxicating manliness drove her wild as they spun round the room with the heavenly music dancing around them.

No words yet spoken, but Rin let her passion be known as her body melted against him as though she could not be close enough, and the way her eyes drooped and her mouth panted expressed all Lord Sesshomaru needed to know about his little wife's feelings.

 _'I want to be in you'_

Rin heard the low growl from above her head and her whole body went hot to cold flushing all over at his tone and words, at the sexy growl he let out and the smell of his skin so close to her face - she finally looked up in his eyes and tears sat in the corners of her sparkling gaze as she half sighed, half moaned in desirous ardour, Sesshomaru's mouth so close to hers.

This glorious heaven born creature, of such ice cold beauty and grandiose stature, with such singular focus and force was channeling all his powers of spirit and demonic lust on to her. Were her feet even still on the floor? Was she really in a room filled with people; was she bound to the earth at this moment? She could not get close enough to her love - her lower region ached and her soul yearned to be filled more and more with his entire self. She could dance all night like this, and beg for more were she to dance the next week away in like manner - Gods help her she was sinking in Sesshomaru's very being.

Then he was not there.

Rin was held by cold hands, belonging to a being whose aura was akin to that of a puff of smoke compared to the raging unearthly storm of her lovers' spirit.

But of course - there was a partner swap in this dance - Rin's clouded gaze gradually cleared to make out the face of Kohaku.

She involuntarily jerked away from him, but he had kept his hold tight enough on the glorious little woman in his arms, more desirable to him now more than ever with the awakened love shining from her pretty eyes and flushed face.

'You look great' Kohaku stated admiringly as Rin's face was quickly transforming in to a studied expression of cold dislike.

'That woman is my mother' was all she replied as they turned round the floor, and Rin watched with satisfaction at the shades of pale shame and red embarrassment flickered across her dance partners face, as his hopes of driving a further wedge between the woman he loved and her husband were dashed.

'Well' Kohaku's voice seemed rather constrained 'that is indeed a development'

'My husband had found her and cared for her until she was made known to me'

Kohaku looked shrewdly at Rin.

'You're tone towards Lord Sesshomaru seems to have changed'

Rin's pretty pink lips curled in a sort of ironic smile: 'when one finds out the truth about someone, it tends to follow that emotion also changes'

A dark shadow of anger and resentment seemed to spring deep in the eyes of Kohaku.

'So has he fucked you?'

Rin's eyes flew wide in rage and she finally threw him back with a resounding slap across his face before running from him, ignoring the shocked and disapproving exclamations from nearby guests.

Ears trained on his wife and the rat of a human, Sesshomaru immediately deserted the dance too, and he made to go after his Rin, but it was too late.

Already he felt within him the rotting emptiness of his annual transformation. He had to leave as well, but he did not want Rin to see him.

Half wishing her husband to have followed her, Rin turned almost immediately in to the arms of the person behind her, but the grip was again cold, and Kohaku was her captor.

In the gardens people had filed out for the cool air after the first set of dances, and Sesshomaru tried with desperation to find a secluded area, the demon beginning the first convulsions of it's break down. He fell behind a line of trees, using all his remaining strength to contain his screams of agony, all he could think of was his precious little Rin, her deep loving eyes, her hot body cradled in his arms. His claws rent the grass and dirt underneath them as he struggled to keep together, cursing his form, cursing his mother, hating himself with a passion that almost surpassed his existence. The phasing began and he could no longer conceal the roar of the hound that tore from his eternal spirit, and quickly people either ran from or toward the sound to find the source.

Among them, Kohaku with Rin bound in his arms, came to the spot where the demon writhed, and people spectated with ghastly fascination.

Cries of an earthly creature came from the Demon Lord, and Rin cried out, her entire body whipping round to get to her misery ridden husband, her heart breaking over and over again. But Kohaku was very strong and he only just managed to hold the impassioned woman back, shouting;

'Do not go near him - anyone! See?' Here he threw a pen from his pocket near where Sesshomaru suffered so greatly and it was immediately destroyed in a green flame. 'He is nothing but destruction now. Leave him! No such creature is fit to have a human woman by his side!'

Rin was so utterly agonised by her weakness that no matter how she strived and scratched to be freed, she was always detained - and she turned in venemous anger toward Kohaku for a moment.

'How dare you' she hissed, 'turning people from him! A curse is no one's fault but the hatred of the castor! I am his source - ! He is my soul! _let me GO!'_

As though with tremendous remaining will, Sesshomaru's final cry that rent the air was vocalized in the name of his desire, and everyone who had gathered around heard the Demon roar his wife's name, as like a chrysalis his long silver hair and his beautiful form fell away, as though turning to dust, and a monstrous black hound appeared from the shroud - its howling piercing the ears of all near it and most ran away, as a group of men surrounded the utterly desperate Rin to take her away, all crying out that no woman of their kind was to be left with such unnatural, hellish horror. But all Rin saw as she chockingly glimpsed back was a tall dark form with blazing firey eyes, somehow rooted to the spot, gazing after her - and she felt rather than saw anything - that her broken husband was crying.


	21. Chapter 21

'Your words still serenade me. Your lullabies won't let me sleep; - I've never heard such a haunting melody - oh, it's killing me - !'

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They had tied her frenzied hands behind her back, and restrained her cries - the belief of the mass of onlookers had been decided as they all re gathered in the main hall, trembling and whispering as the darkness outside was thrilling with menace, yet now devoid of hellborn cries and gone eerily silent.

'The Lord Sesshomaru is but an imposter!' Muttered one official.

Another nodded her head in agreement 'that was no noble lord indeed. A lowlife mindless demon, no more'

'Is it not unlawful for creatures of that sort to marry our kind?'

'Indeed it is' interjected Kohaku, who held Rin tight against him.

He pulled out a mini recorder from his pocket.

'Fear not. I have evidence of his real nature and we will be using this in court to force a final seperation of the abominable alliance'

'Thank God' was the collective sigh, as they all looked at the mess of a woman beside Kohaku, whose hair was stuck to her tear drenched eyelashes.

'Curse all - curse all of you!' She mumbled in a wretched, exhausted voice. 'You do not understand - he is under a curse!'

'She is delirious. She doesn't know what she is saying' Kohaku explained. 'No curse could have that sort of affect on such power. Sesshomaru is a brutish beast, that is all.'

'What the HELL is going on?'

Rin's mother came barging through and when she saw her daughter she ran to her and tried to gather her in her arms, but to no avail.

'Away old maid! Lord Sesshomaru is not who we thought he was. It is best for us to have nothing to do with him'

The older lady looked in aghast disbelief as all the people around her added their own confirmation of the statements Kohaku was making.

'Rin will be in my care as she is my childhood friend. You may stay with us if you like' Kohaku offered to Rin's parent.

'Mother, mother - please find him, go to him, they will not let me - ' Rin begged with swimming eyes that shimmered like shattered glass.

Her mother was torn between saving her daughter, or finding her son-in-law. She was about to stay when the expression in her daughter's eyes bade her otherwise with a namelessly profound emotion. She turned, facing the darkness outside.

'No lady, do not go, he will tear you to shreds!' Some tried to grab on to the lady but she had torn away in to the night.

Rin tried changing their minds till her voice was hoarse; but alas such was the immediate superstition surrounding a supernatural creature that was now fanned in to a fearful hatred by what they had just seen, that her words fell on deaf ears. She had invited all these officials and businessman to show off her husband, yet what it had really turned in to was an infallible hoarde of illustrious witnesses to champion her divorce to her beloved.

She was utterly sick to her stomach, and all the while she twisted and scratched at the bonds at her wrists, using all her adrenalin fuelled strength to get them off. She could not have only realised the depth of overwhelming love her Lord had for her - for it to only be torn away in such a degrading and soul ruinous fashion! A film of sweat had covered her body and she flinched heavily at Kohaku's touch as he put his hand on her shoulder to guide her out of the house.

'You will live a hell if you dare take me from him!' She spat at her captor. 'Hate is too soft a word to describe what I feel towards you' she constantly squirmed to get away from his grasp.

'Such a fiesty little thing. We used to be such friends! Don't worry. I will make sure you are - looked after, sweet Rin'

She laughed slightly maniacally. 'Lay a finger on me. And you'll have no arms left. Disgusting creep!'

He pushed her down in to the back seat of his chauffered car and he locked it before going to his side. He let down the window to exchange a few words with two men who had come up to him, and they handed their business cards to him. One of them bent their head down to look at Rin.

'Believe us for your own good, my dear. There is no dealing with an evil being like that. You will get over your fancy for him in a month or so then a human, a rightful partner, will give you a much happier life.'

Rin had no time to respond as Kohaku wound up the window and the car took off. She felt as though she were lost in a mass deception and no words she had could penetrate the unfathomable curtain around her. Golden eyes, the dark form - mourning for her - Rin retched and gasping tears fell from her eyes - her very soul was stretched further behind her as the car went along, and she felt thin and stretched out; such was her throbbing pain that her head became a mire of nonsense and panic, and she began hyperventilating, her face deathly pale - before a darkness took her.

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'He will find her!'

'No. He won't'

'How are you so sure?' This voice seemed to shudder; 'nothing can stop him, not even the state military. And if you're thinking of a spell deception - he will see right through it. He possesses the most powerful magic, noble or not'

There was a dull thud sound, as though someone was being held up against the wall.

'There are ways and means, my man, ways and means'

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Rin fell back in to unconsciousness.

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While she was in a thoughtless dungeon of darkness, Rin's body was being worked on. Kohaku knew he had to work quickly at keeping Rin for himself - and knew Sesshomaru would see through a spell. But Rin would not. He had gathered and consorted with many magicians and priests to wind a long and powerful illusion within Rin's mind, reinforcing it day by day and night by night - one so subtle and ingrained that Rin would hardly be privy to her own thoughts. Kohaku had thought this through long ago, and he had planned the entire evening ever since finding out about the night of the party falling fatefully on the night of Sesshomaru's curse. Of course Kohaku knew Sesshomaru was really a noble lord, and not a lowly demon, but he knew others did not know of or believe in a noble demon being able to suffer a curse so strongly.

He had set it up and it had gone very well.

He had brought in the priests to enforce an unnaturally long sleep on Rin as she was bound by the subtlest of arts, and he knew that after the spells were complete just one more encounter between Rin and Sesshomaru would be the utter desolation of their love. The spells were also mixed with very strong hypnotism, which would reinforce Rin's behavior if the spells were broken. Keep Sesshomaru away - Kohaku could not - but damage his spirit beyond belief via the source of his love - he may just manage.

Rin finally woke 24 hours or so later. At around the same time her dear Sesshomaru was also regaining his true form. Rin's mother had stayed by her son-in-law's side the entire time, but as Sesshomaru came to his senses, and the black hound form faded as his long hair and beauty returned, he saw that his wife's mother was asleep beside him. He carried her in to the house and made sure she was comfortable in her room. But his eyes were a horrifying ruby red, and his claws could not stay short - his teeth grew as he pulled the covers over Rin's mother, and in a flash he was gone.

His rage surpassed all he had felt before - and woe to anyone who even so much as glanced at him. Snatched away like a little butterfly, he would chase her to the ends of the earth, whether her wings were free or bound she was his, and the one who bound her would suffer a fate so intense it was not worth imagining but in the mind of the Demon.

He could conjure the smell of her desire in his mouth and the sound of her voice in his ears, he could feel her warm little body in his hands and her soft, sweet, seductive voice speaking of love for him; then her last desperate screams as he had faded under the cursed night. She was his, yet he had not yet claimed her - she was his, yet she was out there, unmarked by him. His spirit was whipped up in fury of fanatic rage and ardour - pulled toward her as she was his very pillar of existence.


	22. Chapter 22

I am so incredibly touched by all of your responses and continued support.

As it so happens, the next chapter becomes quite hard core. So, just a warning for any under age readers or those who don't like sexy times ;;;;)))) fufufu

(God I'm cringey af) but srsly I got turned on writing it so I hope you guys get a dopamine hit too ? ﾟﾘﾂ?


	23. Chapter 23

SMUTWARNINGSMUTWARNINGSMUTWARNING

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. SMUT. YES THERE IS VERY HOT SMUT IN THIS CHAPTER. ok I'll stop haha.

'I love him; not because he's handsome, but because he's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made out of, his and mine are the same.

You know I could as soon forget you as my own existence!'

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Kohaku had taken Rin to a distant hotel - it was not dingy or excellent, but plain and unremarkable. Sesshomaru's barely contained form flew down like a comet and his very aura burst the windows of the room he knew Kohaku was in as he descended in to the 32nd floor of the hotel from the outside. The steaming pile of destruction lay around the Demon as he stood like a menacing pillar of seething eternity before the businessman.

Kohaku had been expecting Sesshomaru as soon as the curse had worn off, but he had not quite expected the Demon to arrive in such an extravagant manner.

'Th-that'll be quite expensive' Kohaku tried to snicker, eyeing the obliterated wall of glass.

'So will your hospital bill' Sesshomaru growled and made to tear Kohaku to shreds.

What happened next stunned the Demon Prince so thoroughly (certainly a first for him) that he was momentarily halted in his intention.

'NOOO!' Rin came running from an adjoining room to fling herself before Kohaku.

'Don't you dare do anything!' Rin turned and looked with wide eyed shock at the white haired Demon Hound, her face paled with anger.

Sesshomaru's own widened eyes were held captive by Rin's unflinching gaze, and he remembered how soft and wet her mouth felt. He took a step toward her, but Rin flinched in to Kohaku.

'After seeing how ugly you became last night she does not want anything to do with you' Kohaku smugly explained. 'She has consulted with a few priests and lawyers while you were indulging in your true form and they all agree you are but an imposter, and that the only course of action is divorce.'

Sesshomaru let out a rattling snarl more like a big cat than a dog.

'Please make him go away' Rin buried her face in Kohaku's shirt, and Sesshomaru gazed at the back of her dark head.

'You heard the lady. She no longer has anything to do with you and I am her mediator to ensure she is not further abused by you. An unconsummated marriage is a dead alliance; there are not many ties to cut'

It was apparent Lord Sesshomaru had already had enough of Kohaku's obnoxious blabber, as the businessman found himself wiped out as a chair was thrown at his face. He was certainly nicely knocked out.

Rin had screamed, falling beside Kohaku at once. She glared enraged at the Demon who was her husband, saying in a voice so filled with spite that Sesshomaru may have been fooled.

'You filthy brute! What the hell are you doing? Don't come near us!'

Rin was still wearing the skimpy dress from the night before last, and her full breasts heaved with quivering zeal.

Sesshomaru stayed where he was, his eyes narrowed, studying his delicious wife. She seemed genuine enough, and no cloud of witchcraft lay over her or emanated from her eyes.

Her voice was her own, and it certainly was not a contrived clone; he would know the exact formation and colour of those freckles across her nose anywhere, not to mention her smell was unmistakably Rin's, his little wife's.

She was trying to revive Kohaku and was loosening his shirt, letting his chest bare.

Watching her little plump pale hands unbutton another man's shirt had the effect of bringing out Sesshomaru's whips, made devoid of their poison, to flick so quickly round Rin's small wrists that the girl barely had time to react before she found herself flying across the living room, down the small hallway and in to one of the bedrooms against the wall, her hands up above her head, bound, curiously unhurt.

She glared with a pale anger up at the demon as he pierced her gaze with his light eyes.

'Rin' he said, in a low vibrant voice, 'did you not say you loved me only two nights ago?'

'Let go of me!' She struggled against his iron binds, panting from her exertion.

Her soul was in pain, and she knew not why.

She felt genuine revulsion for this beautiful creature pressed so close to her, but her heart seemed to be screaming something she could not hear.

Because of the magic and hypnotism, her love for her husband had been confused for her hate of Kohaku, and so the opposite emotions were being applied to these two people.

Yet the heavenlies dictated the human girls and the Great Demons spirits as being inextricably tied, and just half a moment later Rin screamed in agony as her very soul warred within her, as though it were a magnet trying to escape her bewitched mind and rest in it's master's embrace. For spells and hypnosis may shackle the brain, but it could not tarnish the soul.

Sesshomaru's whips fell away immediately as his wife exhibited such tremendous pain, and she doubled over, falling in to him, shaking, clutching at her chest.

He was far more powerful than human webs, and his very presence demanded Rin's entire self. He cradled the little woman in his arms, kissing the top of her head, holding her tenderly.

'Please - ' she sobbed, barely able to move 'take this pain from me'

'What did they do to you, my darling?' Sesshomaru's hand stroked her hair as he spoke in a low whisper, voice thick with emotion.

'I- I don't know - I woke up - an hour ago - please, my mind, hates to be near you - be touched by you - ' she sobbed in to his chest - 'but my soul will not let me leave here, it has attached itself to you, though I despise it - sir, please help me - it hurts terribly- ' as she said this in broken whispers she cried out again, clutching her head in agony.

Sesshomaru's brows drew together slightly in a frown and he penetrated her mind as far as he could. Almost like a slight mist, something finally caught his eye. She had been bewitched very cunningly, and if it weren't for her close proximity he would certainly not have seen it. He was sure Kohaku had not counted on her dear little soul so strongly rebelling against all his conniving.

'Rin, can you look at me? I can help you'

The Prince of Demons watched with avidity as his wife's treasured face slowly inclined toward him, as though with great effort, and her eyes dragged up toward his gaze as though boulders were attached to her eyelids so heavy with tears. - she saw his dark shirt unbotted at the throat, the milky white skin not flesh like, but containing something eminent and powerful underneath - the Adams apple so finely sculpted, her mind screaming with hate but her soul throbbing with some desire unknown - the pointed elvish jawline and the grim set mouth, the magenta stripes on his slim cheeks and the fine, straight nose - then she flinched as she met his hooded amber eyes, pools of rich gold that brought a moan rent from deep within her.

Swiftly he bent and suddenly his lips were against hers in a violent, deep kiss, and at once Rin struggled to be free, her little fists thumping at his chest, but then fiercely held by his long clawed hand in one grasp, and his body overwhelmed her tiny frame easily as his tongue plunged hotly in her mouth, dancing with her own tongue in a wet lustful movement, his other clawed hand buried strongly in her hair grasping the back of her head, forcing her kiss against him as his mouth slanted to gain further access to her taste, her scent, her essence.

Rin was groaning and becoming extremely hot - her mind - her mind! - became a haze in the heat wave of lust that enveloped her - overwhelming the hypnotic spells that had confused her so greatly.

The agony subsided, and Rin suddenly realised her husband was almost suffocating her with a kiss so passionate and demanding she couldn't even remember how she got here or what had just happened - all she knew was her entire world was embracing her and she could feel his hands and hair all over her - smell and feel his silken skin, taste his delicious saliva as his lips pulled and bruised at her own lips; she met his tongue with her own, and she couldn't care less that her breathing was nearly cut off.

Her hands, so timid yet eager, raised to his head and buried themselves in his mass of moonlit hair, pulling him so close she felt the area between her legs pool with a wetness so throbbing she groaned in heady lust.

He pulled his wet lips away from her, a growl reverberating deep in his chest like a thunder roll.

Rin seemed to be reaching for him, her shaking hands cradling his pale face, fluttering across his cheeks and tracing his demon marks, delicately touching the outline of his lips as though feeling something forbidden but long desired, as her eyes merely flickered towards his then down again - the aura that poured from his golden pools of light was so immense that she could hardly meet it. He seemed to be thinking, or putting in some sort of huge effort in restraining something. She drew even nearer, on her tip toes, bringing his head down to her and she began whispering against his skin -

'I need to be - _closer '_ she breathed out in a ragged whisper, overcome with desire. 'Closer - filled with you - come inside me, oh Sesshomaru; - my body needs to be joined to you - for years - ' tears trailed down her cheeks - 'I've touched myself imagining you touching me - ' she went deep red at the confession, saying it right to the brilliant Demon himself, who was her fantasy and ultimate peak of desire in one being - but so strong was her desperate passion that she had to continue, staring avidly at her sweaty hands - 'I've become so - so wet just being by you, hearing your voice - I've needed you like a flower needs rain, like my right arm needs its left - every area within me is set alight by you - I am obsessed - I am utterly yours, I want you to take me, feel my wetness - rub me, satisfy me - lick me all over like the dog you are - ' Rin's eyes were a blazing misted over chocolate depth of utter lust, and she brought her gaze to her husband's face, as she said the last few lines, she began touching her breasts that spilled out of her dress, though her hands could not cover them, and she leaned in to his neck and began licking and kissing it with a very wet tongue as she moaned at his smell - 'Sessh-omaru - my Lord, Master - Sesshomaru - my husband - '

The demon was so extremely aroused at every breathy word she whispered, at her incredible, musky wet smell, his panting tongue dripped with saliva, his eyes became such an incredible kaleidoscope of flickering reds and golds and yellows that he seemed utterly terrifying; when she moved in to lick his neck and touch her breast he shuddered out a groaning growl, and in the space of seconds his claws retracted and his hands ran over her plump breast, rubbing and massaging them over the dress then desperately slipping underneath to feel and tweak and run over the soft hard nipple repeatedly - Rin's cries of ecstasy making him so hard he was using all his power to restrain what would come from him if he lost all control; - this precious woman he had so lusted after for so many years now begging like a sex thirsty hot whore - for him, for himself to touch her unheeded - her scent so thick it was like a heavy burning liquid shoved down his throat - and something clicked in his frenzied mind - the drink she had given him some weeks ago, that strong heady liqour - and he knew immediately why - why she had given it to him, her body melting against him, her face the expression of an intoxicated person - the little impish fairy had given it to him, to express such a lewd feeling - he pressed his hardness against her, his other hand jerked up her dress over her white thighs, he forcefully parted them as he stroked her inner thigh, making her shudder uncontrollably - then up over her round wide hip to her stomach, grasping her naked waist under her dress, massaging her under breast, and she began begging him, begging him to touch her, his wild spirit salivating at the thought of what deliciousness dripped between her legs.

Suddenly he plunged his wandering hand in to her underwear and his long pale fingers immediately became utterly soaked with her wetness, and he slid them easily and slick along her throbbing hot pussy, and Rin was crying out with such intense pleasure she had to bite her finger to stop herself from screaming, her entire body convulsed and her hips rocked against his fingers as they rubbed so sexily against her coated folds; he mercilessly slipped two fingers inside her and she couldn't help but scream at such a point, but she was silenced by her husband's mouth that seemed to drink from hers - lapping up her taste with great savour - like he was raping a food of high delicacy and couldn't get enough, his fingers moving in a beckoning stroke inside her cum filled pussy, then he would bring them out to massage heavily around her enlarged clitoris, and she couldn't help but grab his hand and fuck it herself, shuddering and becoming numb with extreme pleasure as he drank in her cries that screamed his name.

'Hu-husband Sessh - - fuck me, eat me - '

He threw her on the edge of the bed still attached to her mouth, then withdrew his fingers as she cried out, then he paused only for half a moment to stare at the creamy white wetness that covered his hand, and took one long lick from it, staring at her shuddering body below him like a beast with its prey; he tore off her underwear and threw her legs apart, squeezing his fingers in to her thighs, licking in such frantic strokes at the cum trails down her thighs she grasped his head and begged for him to eat her.

Sesshomaru took a sane moment to stare at Rin's pussy, the meal in front of him, its pulsating deep pink overflowing wetness and was so insanely turned on at how fucking aroused she was; - he crashed his mouth against her pussy and began drinking from her like a dog would were he long deprived of water, lapping and sucking and licking every deep inch of her that Rin exploded with ecstasy - her thighs wrapped round his noble silver head even to bring him closer, and he nuzzled her pussy in a sexy endearing display of affection roughly in between the deep wet strokes of his tongue - her back arched as she grabbed the blankets round her and her toes curled - she rocked in to his face as his mouth fucked her, and she came as his tongue which was longer and wider than a humans - more like a hounds - penetrated inside her over and over, mixing his masses of saliva with her gushes of heavily scented cum, his nose never letting up from rubbing her clitoris as his long tongue devoured her.

'Rin -' his voice was so altered she almost didn't look up at him, but with shaking desire she met his blood red eyes, his mouth slick with her wetness.

'I can't keep going - you - you are beyond desrcibing' he sounded extremely torn and tortured.

'W-why?' She breathed, almost exhausted.

'I - this is but a taste of you, and I'm almost at my absolute peak of self control - what happens next is something we need space - and - no people for miles - ' his breath was laboured and he couldn't help but continue licking at the hotness between her thighs as though he belonged there. Rin sat on the edge of the bed as he kept going at her and she grasped his hair in her fingers.

'I must have you, we must find somewhere - ' she gasped.

Sesshomaru looked up at her again from where he knelt.

'Are you sure?' He cocked an eyebrow and his expression was so demonically hot that Rin blushed deep red, only just realising what was actually fucking happening - Sesshomaru, her husband, her crush then her beloved, cold and distant, forever out of reach, beautiful and eternal, now gazing at her so filled with a ravaging thirst written all over his gorgeous face and in his crimson eyes that Rin gasped at her utter disbelief.

Sesshomaru saw Rin's adorable shyness suddenly come over her and he nuzzled her between her legs again, this time softly and smelled of her deeply.

'Then come with me, my Desire -' and he took her shaking body in his arms, walked swiftly through the hotel room and stepped out the broken windows in to thin air and took off with his wife clutched tightly in his arms.


	24. Chapter 24

'Prepare yourself' Sesshomaru said lowly as Rin, still flushed and dizzy from his treatment of her, looked at his face with magnetic fascination.

His words only served to make her more flustered.

He glanced at her a moment as they flew.

'I have years of suppressed intention toward you.' He spoke in grunting stops and starts, as though holding himself together. 'I could hardly explain to you the anguish I've been in, having you near me so often, and not being free to invade every inch of you as I desired'

Rin's breathing was shallow and laboured and she clutched tighter to him, burying her blushing face in his chest, smelling him.

'You're words seem unbelievable to me, my Lord - ' she peeked up at his profile ' - as for so long I have been breaking my heart over you every second - '

'That drink you gave me was a hint I completely misread' he smirked.

Rin's eyes widened ' - h-how did you interpret it?'

'When I watched you drink it and you expressed extreme distaste... '

'O-oh' Rin understood his meaning immediately.

'But as I tasted my Rin's sweetness between her legs and felt her reactions; I was filled with such intoxication only such a drink could induce - '

Rin was silent a second before sighing drunkenly, lovesick - 'You've always stolen all of my senses and my breath whenever I've been near you'

'If only I had known sooner - where did I go so wrong that my eternity of studying human kind did not pick up every minutae of my dearest life's desire - that her heart was mine already, undeserving as I am'

'Oh Sesshomaru - ' Rin buried her face once again and she could feel his pounding heart. 'A God of Heaven as yourself - and he is so silly to think he could not have a pick of any woman or demon that he wished - yet he chose such an insignificant person as myself - '

She cried out as she found herself penetrated by his fingers of his free hand.

'Punishment for saying such things' he spoke gruffly, his hardness throbbing as his Rin squirmed so delectably against him, as he felt her warm, soft, wet pussy inside and out. She was panting and begging him to have mercy, but with a gleam in his eye he kept pounding his fingers in to her and she attempted to push his hand away. Sesshomaru raised an eye brow quizzically at her and her nipples hardened at his gaze. She could not stop his brutal movements no matter how she twisted in his hold; he had her fast against him.

'You have nowhere to go, my little sprite. Either say the words 'Sesshomaru-sama is a dirty dog who doesn't deserve to even kiss my feet' - or I keep going' as he spoke his hand thrusted faster and rougher in to her, and she was crying for mercy.

'No - I - won't - ha ha - ah! Please - ah - Sessh-hom -maru-sama!'

She cried out again as his thumb pressed against her clitoris and began massaging ruthlessly as he still pounded her.

'Say it' he said, his mouth filling with saliva at her sounds and her heavy scents.

Rin's pussy was feeling so heavily invaded - at least wanting him to change the speed - that she mumbled out the sentence in an adorable breathy broken way, intermingled with small cries.

'Sesshomaru - sama - ah ah ha - is a - ah - di-dirty - uh ah - dog - who - doesn't - ha - de-deserve - to - ki-kiss - my feet! - '

'Good girl' the Demon purred, and he slowed his finger down so they very gently and seductively stroked and rubbed up and down her folds, making wet sounds with all her cum, as though sexually patting her for doing what he'd demanded.

'Uh you are so fucking wet, you sexy girl' - Sesshomaru moaned as her pussy's delicious sounds filled his ears, as he felt her cum coat and drip down his hand. 'No other creature is as desirable, sexual, enticing or as incredible as you, Rin'

She was clutching tightly to his torso as he kept hand fucking her, any grip she had almost non existent as he was melting her entire body.

'Sesshomaru - sama, I've wanted you to - ah ah - oh, god! - mm - do this - to me, for so long - I - ah ah - have been so desperately - ohh, ah - in love with you - never thought - I could dream - of having you - '

'If only you knew my darkest thoughts, Rin - toward a woman who has been the only one to capture me mind, heart, spirit, and body - through all my ages of living - to think she wanted - nothing to do with me, the very same woman who bred within me a beating heart that could know love - now to have her squirming, hot, begging for more, in my arms like this - such a sacred creature, my epitome of beauty, Rin, be ready - this is mere petting, stroking - delicious as it is, you will find out soon, how a Demon Lord claims his wife, fills her, makes her his mate forever - '

'How can I - ah - take more - of such - mind blanking tre-atment - my Lord - my pussy feels - so invaded - mm ah - '

He met her eyes with a glimmering darkness so red that Rin moaned loudly, looking away, down at his slender pale hand between her legs, incessantly rubbing, massaging, stroking, and her body couldn't stop its violent shivers.

'My Lord - I've come once already, - mm, ah - I - feel - I - aH AH OH, SESSH - SESSHY - !'

Her pussy gushed out cum as she came all over his hand, and he began licking his fingers clean with lapping sounds.

'Mm you taste delicious - ' his voice purred so sexily she began wondering when her dream would end - surely the cold demon was not really fulfilling all her fantasies with such vigour and lewdness.

'You crying out a nickname so adorably as you peak - I am flying to a place where I can fuck you unheeded, as your sweet voice begs me to - '

Rin's face was the image of a sexual submissive, panting, begging, wanton.

'You're beyond handling, my Sesshomaru - ha ha, beyond hot - '

Sesshomaru couldn't keep his hand away from her wet core as it irresistibly returned there to stroke his little pet where he'd always wanted to stroke her.

'Your juices are the first delectable substance I've had on earth - beware, my dear little wife - my heart, I will be demanding a taste of them as often as I can get it from now on - '

'Oh - Sesshomaru - ! I - I feel so shy, yet - uh ha ha! - ' he stroked her so satisfyingly and sensually, she could feel her pussy open begging him to enter the hardness she could feel under her, her body was a series of hot and cold shudders and tingles throughout as she tried to catch her breath. 'I never want you to stop - '

'These are the sorts of things I've always wanted to do with you- ' he hungrily drank in the sight of her parted legs and his hand moving so persistently against the hot middle of her pussy, her brown eyes so rich and dazed - 'every moment I've smelt you or heard your voice - the wedding night, every dance and party, whenever you disobeyed me I wished to - to punish you like this - watch your face become so lewd and panting - when you came to me at my Mother's castle, all I wished to do when you were flying with me in my arms afterwards, was this - pull your dress up and soak my hand in the delicious juices of your arousal - feel you squirm with no escape - to bend you over wherever I came across you and make you scream for me - always trying to get away - always seeming to revel in hurting me - Rrrriiin - you will feel the fucking of a demon in love with you, who you have spurned and repulsed repeatedly, given hope to then torn away over and over, my sweet, lovely, innocent nymph always so out of reach, slipping away from my grasp as though I were anathema to you - my slut, my wife, my mate - I now have you to myself, no filthy men can look at you again - they will smell my essence all through you after this - you may have made a mistake, an error in enticing me so wickedly for years without reward - you played with this God and led him on a wicked little dance - you will feel me now forever - no escape for this naughty, naughty Rin so pinned in my grasp'

His eyes were becoming redder and redder as he spoke, she saw through her lust glazed eyes his stripes become jagged, his teeth become fangs - his voice was taking on a cadence she had never heard before; - it was the voice of a true demon, it was guttural, growling - but seemed to split in to 3 or 4 different tones at the same time, Sesshomaru's voice, but more - he sounded like a God from Heaven would really sound - his hair was becoming wildly splayed all round him like a great mane, Rin was crying out at his transformative majesty - at his almost paroxysm of words that flew from him in regards to her as his voice gathered power and tone - her mind beginning to disconnect from her body at trying to even comprehend this revelation of passion she had hardly guessed at, but that he'd felt for so long and held back - she was crying with a fear borne of a joy of this knowledge, yet she had never seen him like this, speaking so many words, becoming this blazing white fanged creature of lust - he was showing for the first time his True Carnal Demon.

They were descending at a great rate as he was speaking and transforming all at once; his claws tore off her dress so she lay naked against him; suddenly the God Sesshomaru was glowing so bright Rin could only make out the sun-like red eyes and the now even longer, wilder silver hair - like a crown of glory all about his body - his lower legs were not in the form of a human at all, but a white hound - horns came from his head, black and sharp pointed backwards - a swirling white light surrounded him, Rin found herself thrown from his body, and she did not have time to scream - but look! She was wrapped deliciously with Sesshomaru's Mokomoko, and from him she fell just 10 feet and utterly quivering, wet, naked, imbued with a desire beyond description of human words, she watched as her magnificent heaven borne husband descended to her like the Gods of old to the women of earth, shining, blinding, mesmerizing - the embodiment of lust.

Rin was shaking uncontrollably at his appearance, what he had said, how he had taken her distancing from him to heart and wanted retribution and reward, his very explosion of his Carnal Form and his thundering voice, she wanted him, all of him fucking her so that she lost all reason in their joined bodies - at last.

His whips without poison in a split second lashed round her thick white thighs and spread her legs wide apart as he descended toward her, her breasts bouncing - Rin was bright red as the formidably awesome form of her Sesshomaru wantonly licked his dripping fangs at her shining wet pussy open before him - she saw in her bewildered mind his nakedness and Rin could not even register his size as she felt it before seeing it - he touched ground with his clawed feet and somehow she was lifted to him and she felt a throbbing, hot, huge tip at her begging entrance that entered with a hugely pleasured moaning cry from her. His hands took her white thighs and went to her round butt cheeks, her thighs now resting on his rippling forearms, his whips tied round her engorged nipples, tickling and licking at them as he pushed the rest of himself completely inside her.

The Dog Lord roared with the pleasure of Rin's pussy taking him in, squeezing round him with pleasure - his demonic snarling groans intermingling with her sweet, soft, sensual cries - the Demon King and the orphan girl, joined at last.

He began thrusting in her and Rin's mouth was drooling, screaming, she grabbed his wild mane - his arms, his shoulders - anything to keep in touch with earth - his cock pounding in her so loudly, the slap and squelching of her pussy just making the Demon go faster and faster - he was grabbing her breast with one hand, then his mouth connected with the elongated nipple as her back arched incredibly as his cock seemed to reach inside her whole length. The smell of him drove her mad - she could barely form words from her cries other than his name - he just kept fucking her, as he threw her down on the Mokomoko and held her legs apart, never stopping, thrusting in deeper and deeper, her body a slick film of desire induced sweat, his body using all its weight to just fuck her pussy raw. She came again, but he kept going, his demon utterly taken over - Rin was his, Rin was his, Rin was his - was all he could think, and she felt so astonishingly addictive he didn't know if he could stop - he would not, if it was not for her fragile frame - but he knew she could still take more, her pussy so hot he had barely a shred of rational thought left.

This was what he'd been missing all these years of constrained desire - ! Her sexual cries burned his ears like dry ice, the smell of her entire sexual self was whipping him in to a frenzy of lust and now he was fucking her there was no holding back. He had to taste her, he bent and plunged his tongue in her moaning mouth to drink of her, his cock pounding over and over as he only got harder and larger within her -

'Look you slut, covering my cock with your fucking cum - '

He slowed just a second to show Rin his coated penis as he thrust it back inside her and Rin's pussy gushed some more coating as though in response, screaming his name, her hair now also drenched in sweat - her shaking, thrusting body taking him in to her again and again.

'Fuck this'

He had desired her so long and never touched that which he lusted, that now he had her the Demon could feel his climax reaching a lot sooner than it usually would. Rin's body was moulded just for him, her tight pussy milking his cock like nothing else - never in his life had he found such perfect connection sexually, and for this Carnal Demon it had him utterly bound to her.

Sesshomaru flipped her to her hands and knees, almost fully supporting her exhausted weight - lifting up her thighs and parting them from behind, then entering her again where he could gain full access to pound her till he came. His speed became so fast Rin almost passed out at the crazy paroxysms of ecstasy he created pooling hot and cold, jolting and sparking and numbing all throughout her small body, the feeling was so full of him, so invaded by him, so surrounded and filled with every part of him that she could not help but to scream at the top of her little voice as his claws raked her arching back, grabbed her bouncing sweaty, huge breasts, and pounded three more times till he pressed against her and unleashed a load that she could feel project deep within her body. Oh, by God's - she was utterly filled with all of him! And she could no longer think, or feel - everything - was Sesshomaru.


	25. Chapter 25

Rin could feel him pulsating deep inside her, and her body shuddered with all the waves of hysterical pleasure that shot through her.

Sesshomaru's beastly eyes gazed down at his wife's supple, gleaming white body below him and his own form was rent with the force of the connection with his Rin; her utter submission and acceptance of him; her scintillating lust melding her to him; - he withdrew, his erection still huge - and Rin fell to her back in exhausted shaking heaves of shattered breath; his slitted spirit eyes looked down at her ravished form against his massive tail, and he pried her legs apart to watch his essence spill from her core in a glowing white gush.

As it did so, Rin felt her body fill with a hot white light, and sparks flamed from her finger tips - her hair grew a bold white streak and for a sudden moment her eyes flashed crimson. Sesshomaru's fanged smile flashed before her eyes as she had been imbibed with the spiritual gift of longevity - to last as long as her Master did.

'Welcome to my side, at last, my sweet Rin' he purred, and drew her limp and shaking body in his arms in an embrace so tender tears fell from her pretty eyes with release and fulfillment - the power within her a strange, burning sensation, as though someone had poured cold water from a high heavenly mountain stream through her veins, and she now throbbed with the potential of eternity.

His whispered words of loving-kindness washed over her, whispered against her ears and hair, peppered across her neck in small kisses as she shook with his breath upon her hot skin - his boundless, frightening depth of love a force she had not rekoned with, and now could not choose to accept, but rather had to experience it and just let it be hers, hers alone.

'But I have not yet finished with you' his countless voices like rushing waters pouring through her and around her, inside every crevice and piercing her soul.

She found herself again laid back against the Great Tail, and for the first time she realised they were in some golden field of light that did not seem akin to anything she knew on earth. And looking at her King, she saw him with his true power - as now the Demon Lord was himself imbued with the totality of his potential now connected to his spirit source, and he had become a God.

In the air, he became the Great Hound; a shimmering rain seemed to surround him, his great earth shattering steps slowly and deliberately coming towards his wife - then the Great Dog Spirit circled her three times, the fur of his tail tickling over her body, arousing her nipples and drunkenly relaxing her taut frame - filled with euphoria she still had tears streaming silently from her eyes.

The Great Hound then stopped before her and lay down on its belly; the huge red eyes surveying the little semi-mortal in front of him, her nakedness enticing, her smell intoxicating to such a sensitive nose, his teeth bared in lust.

Rin lay there, pinned to the spot, feeling more stripped naked than her very nakedness at his swirling crimson burning gaze. What was he to do with her at such a size? A flicker of panic flew across her features.

'Do not worry, my Desire' came the thunderous rumbling voice of the Dog Spirit - 'I am merely going to mark you in my true form. It will not hurt'

As he spoke, he bent his great white head and with extremely gentle affection he licked her with his massive hot, dripping tongue, from her core, over her stomach, her breasts, her face. Rin moaned in massive pleasure as the great wet, warm muscle entered her at the same time as covered all round her inner thighs and outer thighs, the saliva dripping all round and down to her feet as she lay there on her back, her legs up and spread; her breasts entirely covered, her mouth invaded by the Hound's huge tongue. He licked her like this another two times, slow, deep, groaning from his great chest as he took in every part of her essence. He was marking her with his very spirit, entering all her points to fill them with his eternal scent and ownership.

His throat rumbled a deep sound of lustful satisfaction at tasting of her so deeply, and he licked his drooling lips as he watched Rin arching with pleasure under him. Thrown back in the air he became his Carnal Form again and went to her, entering her again - setting up a fast pace that had her convulsing within seconds as she cried his name over and over, her sexual muscles grasping him tighter and tighter begging him to come in her, to fill her - the newfound life within her now almost matching his carnal energy.

The Demon, growling, grabbed her head and brought her mouth to his in a sweaty sensual, pulling, stroking and licking kiss and he bit her bottom lip, his cock sliding in and out of her so pleasurably that her legs felt numb as they lay almost horizontal to let him in as much as possible.

Rin's body told her that it was not just a body as a form that penetrated her so thoroughly - but Time itself, a spirit of the immaterial, an ageless Lord of elements and mysteries - a King of the Spirit World and a God of Earth - she felt all his intimate, personal love and desire for her, and intermingled all his powers of being, all his command and deathlessness poured in to her small frame over and over.

The way he ground out her name with such obsessive, possessive zeal made her soul entirely his, and she knew now that love really did equalise all just as the old priestess had said - only the Great White Spirit had not lowered to meet his wife Rin on it's mighty plane - he had risen her to meet him, by giving of his very essence to her.


	26. Chapter 26

Hey guys I didn't want to attach this to the chapters to ruin the mood hehe ;) um, I just wanted to write a mini explanation as to Rin's virginal sex! I know a lot of people may be wondering 'hmm this is totally unrealistic - she would've bled, been in pain - hardly been able to take all that fucking' haha. I may be a lil tmi here but to let you know I am purely going off personal experience, and also some of what my other friends have told me of their same experience. This is that my first time having sex did not hurt at all, nor did I bleed. I was able to go for a long time with no pain. And probably because my hymen broke when I used to go horse riding when I was younger. Just imagine, Rin's also broke riding Ah-Un (sorry if I mispelled it!) - or in any amount of the dangerous situations she found herself in. Anyway, thought I'd let you know not all people's virginal sex hurts, or bleeds.

Also, I really hope you like the lemons, I wanted something different just to your run of the mill penetration, and so I hoped the additions of spiritual transformation for them both, and him also sexually connecting with her in his Great Dog form a bit more interesting, as well as the pure connection of two such predestined souls. Now I cannot wait to write out their steamy life from now on and all the different sexual experiences Rin will now be having - I have her down as quite cheeky and deviant in future - but ultimately massively submissive to her Master ;) there will be some quite funny little stories of Rin being her old 'trying not to mess things up but ends up messing things up anyway' self; and you'll probably guess how Sesshomaru may treat her now there are no boundaires left between them when she does adorably mess up ;')


	27. Chapter 27

When Rin could finally take no more, which Sesshomaru sensed rather than had to be told, he lay down next to her in the grass and held her to him, his strong pale arms rippling with virility as they held her securely but softly round her waist, revelling in the feeling of her skin against his.

She slept for a while, completely at peace for the first time in her life.

Sesshomaru stroked her hair gently, observing the new white streak in her hair tenderly, his sense of belonging placed in this little woman curled up against him.

Her breathing came slow and steady and he watched as her lips parted slightly; how her nose twitched occasionally; how her eye lashes swept across her upper cheeks with such delicate beauty.

He watched his own clawed hand run through her brown hair, seeing how the light caught hints of red and gold, amazed that he was able to touch her so freely, that this was not another of his visions or dreams. His anger then burned against those who had sought to seperate them, and he knew what he would do about that.

For now he was far too preoccupied with the woman Rin in his hold and the slightest details about her. He longed to kiss her again, but he withheld. Being joined with her at last after so much longing had quelled the restlessness of the spirit within him; her body was an explosion of pure intoxicating pleasure, and her reactions and responses made a slave of him.

Sesshomaru gazed at her sweet sleeping face, his spirit moving with another feeling just as profound; - that of deep and wondrous humility because Rin Urihara had seen fit to bestow him with her dear heart.

.

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After maybe many hours; though time was not counted in this place, he watched as her eyelashes fluttered and the heavy lids lifted to reveal to him the dark glittering irises that so languidly and deliciously blinked up at him. Sesshomaru watched as shades of dreaminess, confusion, recognition, remembrance (here she blushed), and realisation hit her. She hid her blushing face against his chest and he felt her heart become erratic and pounding.

'My darling' he spoke in a gruff tone, holding her head with his hand.

Rin brought her arms up shyly and wound them round his neck, his silvery hair cascading over her arms.

'Sessh-omaru - '

Her voice was so endearingly croaky and disoriented from her sleep that his face softened even more and his hand stroked from her hair down her small back.

'How are you feeling?' He asked, the intimate conversation new to him, and he spoke slightly awkwardly.

She peeked up at him, meeting his close golden gaze, looking from each of his eyes with a whispered answer:

'Loved', and she cradled his face in her small hands and placed a kiss just under his collar bone. His skin tingled where she had placed her soft lips.

'How are you?' She returned, nestled against him. He could feel and almost touch the heart and passion in every word she spoke to him.

'In disbelief' he said lowly, drinking in her every detail.

Rin closed her eyes again, feeling overwhelmed at being so held by such a glorious creature; that he, he! - should be the one in disbelief.

Rin recalled the forest spirit's words and as naturally as she thought, so now she spoke to her husband - so long estranged and now closer than her own soul.

'There was an old priestess in Sendai, who told me about the plane of love - and how upon it two people meet as equals no matter their background. She also - she told me that - your spirit tide, flowed to me - ' her voice trailed off slightly, becoming softer and more shy as she finished her sentence.

Sesshomaru smiled at her mentioning the topic. He had wanted to bring it up himself.

'I sent her' was all he said, and it was enough to make Rin's eyes fly to his in wide surprise. He met her gaze, desirous to look in them as long as he could while she was not overcome with shyness.

'Y-you - why?' She asked, staring at him with wonder.

'I could not tell you myself, for I believed you'd discount it, or it would seem to strange coming from me without context when we were so - distant - ' he tucked some of her hair strands behind her ear as he spoke ' - so to make you believe how vital you are to me, I knew it would take no less than her spirit to tell you the secrets of my love for you'

As he said the last few words his gaze became very deep and inward; and Rin felt as though his eyes were collapsing golden stars and he was allowing them to fall in to his soul to lay bare his truth to her only.

Rin blushed deep again and her gaze fell to studying his Adams apple, hardly able to answer him.

'I'm so sorry' she sighed from her soul, and in the words the Demon felt as though her broken heart was offered to him in the apology that nonetheless confused him.

'My little wife' he purred 'for what are you apologising?' His tone was almost indulgent, playful.

Rin shifted closer to him, her head down to the side against his chest.

'For completely misunderstanding you - for stubbornly refusing the things you did do for me. For being so ready to disbelieve you - ' her voice had become thick and fogged with tears.

'Only a fortnight ago I realised how much I relied on you, how much I took for granted and still pouted like a petulant child, as though you - a creature who has lived through ages - owed me any sort of affection. - It was part of the reason I had to get a job. And I still plan to - '

Sesshomaru had cut her off as his forefinger forced her chin up to look him in the eye. She went red at the burning expression she was forced to meet.

'Firstly, don't ever feel guilty for anything, my Rin - I have done nothing so noteworthy as to accept any guilt from you, my darling. But secondly - You think I'll let you go back to that hole I pulled you from? Dressed up in things only I should see?'

Rins deep pink lips smiled and her eyes sparkled playfully at his stern displeasure, her soul rejoicing at his possessiveness.

Sesshomaru had meant to be serious, but the sudden flash of her smile and the rays from her eyes enraptured him.

'You have given ny life twice over. I ought to feel some gratitude' she traced the line of his collar bone 'and about the job - I was thinking of it' she admitted to him, biting her lip coyly, peeking at him through her lashes. She felt a growl in his chest and she squeaked with surprise as he kissed her passionately, grunting with hunger for her.

He withdrew from her suddenly, panting, his eyes bleeding red.

'If you let me take you and pick you up, and kill anyone who so much as looks at you in the way only I can, then you are free' he growled.

Rin let out a small snort then couldn't help but laugh out loud, the sound ringing like heavenly shrine bells in his ears, and he looked with profound love at her lovely face.

'Free?' She inquired rhetorically 'as long as Sesshomaru gets to deliver, retrieve, and guard Rin until she has completed her moment of freedom, then she has permission' it did sound rather ironic and stupid now that he heard his own words spoken back to him with such light mockery.

He looked away, saying in a subdued voice 'you liked that - employer - of yours?'

Rin blinked, surprised at the inflexion of jealousy in his tone.

She knew now she couldn't play with him too much.

'Sesshomaru - ' Rin breathed his name, bringing his face to hers, 'you dear creature' - she closed her eyes, and kissed his cheek repeatedly with gentle passion 'no one has ever interested me in the slightest, when there has always been my Sesshomaru in the world - '

The Demon felt another new thing then; of being cared for, Rin's touch so nurturing that he felt almost young under her touch.

Any hardness left his body, and he melted in to the nape of her neck, nuzzling her.

.

He took her home through the air, both of them enjoying the contented companionable silence until they reached their home. Sesshomaru went to the balcony of his room rather than through the main entrance with his unclothed wife. His own traditional clothing had returned with his fading of the Carnal form.

He didn't move to follow her inside, and Rin looked up at him in question.

'I am going to address a few things, my dear' he said, finding it hard to not scoop her up and throw her on the bed for a lot more intimacy...

'Oh - ' Rins voice was soft, slightly confused, but she took the few steps back to him, and suddenly very shy again, she took his hand timidly and placed a fervent kiss on the back of his hand.

'I will see you then - '

Sesshomaru's breathing quickened though he remained still at her precious gesture, reminded of when she had kissed his hand that night of the dance when he had fled from her temptation over the balustrade. Instead of taking off this time, he bent down and tipped her head, kissing the milky column of her neck, cradling her soft round breast in his other hand. Before he ravaged her again, he forcefully withdrew himself and took off, leaving Rin panting with desire.


	28. Chapter 28

The hospital ward was always a disgusting place for the Demon God to go, and he had only ever gone when necessity absolutely called for it. The sharp stinging scents of detergent, medical liquids, anaesthetic, bleach and above all the stench of the injured and dying repulsed and disgusted him. Juxtaposed so immediately against the divine sensual scents of his wife, he wished to leave immediately back to her side.

He found where he had needed to go, without needing to consult medical staff, as most wished to leave the glowing being alone anyhow.

Kohaku was in a dead coma with an oxygen mask to his face, the damage from the flying chair quite evident by the long in dent along his cheek and the side of his head, the blood cleaned off and the wound sutured. The bruising was expansive and his eye seemed like a fluid filled pillow.

Sesshomaru held out his hand in a sweeping motion over the businessman's prone form.

Kohaku seemed to gag and shot upright in his bed, the oxygen mask flying off, momentarily revived from whatever power Sesshomaru had used.

Kohaku's gaze finally focused from their delirium and he wished to return back to the blackness that had embraced him when he beheld the fearsome form of the Demon before him.

'Oh my God...' Kohaku spluttered, going paler than he already was, a hand to his throbbing head.

'Yes, well now I am' Sesshomaru purred. 'And you thought you could meddle with my Goddess?'

Kohaku's eyes darted all round the room rather like a rat, looking for escape.

'I was not the only one' Kohaku spoke with half laughing nervousness. 'Others conceded that Rin was not safe with you.'

'She was safer with a human male who's first desire was to control her through amateur mind manipulation? Interesting'

At those cool words Sesshomaru had merely glanced at the stash of Kohaku's clothes and belongings neatly folded on a shelf and the items melted in a sizzling puff, including the tape Kohaku had kept for divorce evidence.

Kohaku glared at Sesshomaru in fearful anger.

'H-how dare you - !'

Sesshomaru seemed to almost pounce on him, his long slender fingers round his neck, his eyes metallic slits.

Despite the utter terror that engulfed him, Kohaku spat in a constrained wheezing voice;

'You cannot lay claim on one you have not lain with!'

Sesshomaru sneered at him, snarling at a low vibration;

'Your belief is mistaken, and so is your reprehensible audacity; - you escape lightly with this'

The Demon's eyes burned a searing hole in Kohaku's forehead, and the Spirit vanished, leaving the man to scream in agony as his brain began shrivelling upon itself and hospital staff swarmed his room.

.

.

Suzuki bowed in reverence as the more than usually intimidating figure of Sesshomaru materialised in the meeting room. Damn demons, able to appear whenever they wished without warning.

There was a bone chilling, heart stopping aura about the Great Spirit, as all the people of the office floor were gathered in the room for their daily review, now utterly halted at the White Demon's appearance.

Sesshomaru's dangerously glittering eyes surveyed his employees, seeing the memory of his cursed form in their faces - he could no longer sense any respect, but pure fear. This angered him even more.

'Pardon the interruption, Suzuki' the Demon purred at his manager. 'But I have a rather pressing matter to address worthy of interrupting your no doubt worthy meeting' all faces were either glued to his in horror, interest, or furtiveness.

'I know some of you were all too quick to agree with that snake, Kohaku - on the hypothesis that I was not fit to remain with my wife. Being an astute businessman, I know the foolishness of allowing any kind of disrespecting dissension to exist in my employ'

He scanned the room as he spoke, and knew immediately the ones who were guilty, even from the slightest flicker of change in their expressions or mannerisms.

'If any of you wish to tell me you are among that number, your punishment will at least not include pain, merely expulsion'

Immediately, about ten hands raised with shaking apprehension.

Sesshomaru saw three who were guilty had not raised their hands.

'Leave' he flicked his wrist with a dismissive motion at the confessing staff.

There was a collective sigh as the ten employees silently left, and the remaining people believed the ordeal was over. Not so.

'Three of you not only disrespected me, but are even now lying. What gains you to hide your truth?'

After a few heavy seconds, a lady stood shakily on her feet, not able to look the Demon in the eye.

'Sir - I was one also, but I cannot lose my job - ! Please, my family relies on me for income!'

Sesshomaru looked at the lady through cold slit eyes like a motionless cat.

'I am astonished one so protective of her family, would wish to see me torn from mine?'

The lady gulped, realising the jeapordy of her position and that she must tread carefully with such an ambivalent all powerful creature before her.

'Lord Sesshomaru - I deeply apologise for my rash remarks. I was not thinking straight, and reacting to my pure fear at having seen you - in the other form - '

The Demon seemed to purr in his throat.

'I see to quell fear, I must stoop to explain myself.' His gaze swept his staff as he slowly paced round the room.

'My mother cursed me on a time long before any of you even kicked in your own mother's wombs. What you saw those few nights ago was the effects of that curse. I am now not just a Demon, but a God. No curse affects me now. If you all fear for my wife's safety, I can assure you - would one who gave her life twice over wish to then take it on some whim? You three - ' he pointed to the lady and the other two quiet ones ' - you are dismissed. That is all.'

The lady went sheet white, and bowed before the Demon.

'My Lord, please spare me - what do I do to regain my position?'

Sesshomaru's golden eyes glinted down at her as she grovelled before him.

'Out of my sight!' He hissed, and she then left promptly.

'Suzuki' Sesshomaru's tone returned to its normal deep cadence as he addressed his manager. 'Ensure the lady and the initial ten have good references - marked under 'dismissal due to position cuts'. She was only a weak character whose real opinion came forth under the pressure of fear. She is not fit for this company regardless and the others were at least -honest.'

The man nodded, and in Sesshomaru's judgement and sparing of his employees, respect kindled high in the remaining team.

.

.

.

Rin had slowly stepped in to her husband's room, feeling the thick carpet under her feet as she went slowly to his closet to put on one of his shirts, smelling the faint remainder of his scent on it as she shuddered under the material, as though he surrounded her. Her body ached every where with almost excruciating pain at all the muscular contortion she had undergone in the past 24 or so hours.

As she kneaded the back of her neck, she gazed with loving wonder at all the detail of his room that she had not heretofore dared to explore.

The massive luxurious bed, the intricately ebony carved frame that dominated the room. There was no light in the room for the natural light that poured from the balcony provided enough illumination. It was almost as overwhelming being in his room as it was feeling his gaze on her. She wondered where he had gone off to so precipitately, and as she did so suddenly remembered her mother!

Rin left his room, gently closing the door and rushed as much as she could with her strained muscles - to her own room far down the other end of the cavernous hall.

Her heart hammered wondering what now was to happen between her and the Demon who was her now passionate lover - in this previously sterile mansion so reminiscent of all the heart broken tension she had suffered with her husband.

Finding a skirt and blouse, she glanced in the mirror to straighten herself up. Rin's brown eyes widened as she saw the white streak for the first time, placed on the left side of her head next to her bangs near the front. Her fingers reached up and touched it softly - was this Sesshomaru's own hair grown from her own head? It appeared to be; the precise moonlit shade of silvery white she had stared at all her life on her beloved demon. She noticed a faint glow also seemed to surround her, and Rin's body tingled all over with the sight of her physical form manifesting her belonging to the Demon God Sesshomaru. She had to shake herself at the change, pinch herself, to realise she stood in the world of reality.

Rin breathlessly went in search of her mother, thoughts flicking through her mind in rushed procession of all Sesshomaru's words and actions, his voice and his body inside her - she wondered how she would tell her mother of her sudden connection and reuniting with her husband - when parent and daughter had only been acquainted for a mere few hours.

Rin went down the three flights of stairs, not finding her mother in her assigned room, and so continued to the floor level living room.

She heard laughter, distinguishing Jaken's and her parent's voices and she went towards them, a knot of anxiety in her stomach.

She stood in the doorway and it was Jaken who saw her first.

'Rin?' He shreiked 'Lord Sesshomaru will KILL you when he sees how you've butchered your hair!' Jaken found himself attacked by Pepper, who was yet bigger again.

Mrs. Urihara turned and gasped, knowing at once the reason for her daughters change in appearance. It was not so much the white streak as the look of inner glowing joy that shone from her eyes, brimming with a life that was not of the physical world.

'Oh my dear' sighed Rin's mother 'I am so glad' and the lady went to her, wrapping her in a motherly hug as Rin dissolved in to tears of happiness and relief.


	29. Chapter 29

I'm back! I've been running my own business which has taken some time, but I just can't leave this couple alone :')

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Sesshomaru appeared in the doorway where Rin sat with her mother, Pepper curled in her lap, and Jaken yet again fallen asleep on the couch opposite.  
For just a second the mother and daughter did not notice him, so silent was he, and his gaze wandered across the small vibrant face of Rin, noting the small dimple in her cheek as she smiled at her mum, the tilt to her head as she listened and then - the alertness suddenly springing in to her being as she lifted her swift brown gaze to his own face.

Mrs. Urihara stood up and went before Sesshomaru.

Rin watched as her mother bowed low.

'Lord, thank you for loving my daughter and bestowing your blessing upon us both'

'Do not bow to me' spoke the Demon God with a flicker of amusement. 'As though I am like my ancestors and would strike you for looking me in the face'

Rin had stayed where she was on the couch, still completely transfixed by him and the knowledge that the old, large barrier that had once existed between them was now gone. To her discomfort, it almost felt as though a safety barrier was destroyed, and she was open to all the raging emotions they each possessed, and now being free to do and say as she wished to him, she felt even more at a loss than ever.

'But you are a God, my Lord. Even if I have complete faith in your benevolence, I do not wish to withhold from you the reverence I feel'

'Your daughter has only recently shown me that she possesses the same submission her mother displays'

Mrs. Urihara looked up and at her daughter, who was cuddling Pepper, and chuckled.

'She suits the white streak'

Sesshomaru was staring at his wife, and naturally he moved towards her.

Pepper jumped down off Rin's lap and danced around the Dog Demon's feet.

'How are you, Rin?'

Rin looked up at Sesshomaru, blushing pink as his gaze held so much tenderness. She knew it would take her a while to get used to such gentleness.

'I - I am a bit sore'

Mrs. Urihara burst out laughing behind them.

'Ha! Reminds me of when your father and I - '

But Jaken shot up from his prostrate position with a screech, holding his webbed hands over his ears.

'I do NOT want to hear this from an old woman!'

'Weren't you asleep?' Mrs. Urihara commented caustically to the toad.

The imp narrowed his eyes at the older lady, humphed, and walked off. Pepper followed the little demon, and Mrs. Urihara went to make some tea.

Sesshomaru knelt in front of Rin and took her face in his hands.

'Did I hurt you?'

He searched her eyes with a piercing flicker.

Rin gingerly brought her hands over his and leaned in to his hold, turning his palms over and kissing them.

'It's normal - I just need to get - used, to it'

'Get used - to what?'

Sesshomaru's voice was a low whisper against her forehead as her bent countenance sent small kisses across his finger tips.

Rin blushed red. He was doing the 'obvious question' thing again.

'You know - ' she whispered, feeling overwhelmed at the memory of what he had said and done to her just hours ago.

'I - I've forgotten, my darling. Please remind me' Sesshomaru lifted one of his hands and ran it through her hair.

Rin shuddered as she admitted; 'sex with you'

Sesshomaru took her face again and began kissing her soft lips. Moans escaped her mouth as pins and needles formed in her feet.

The Demon pulled back slightly, panting.

'This is going to be hard' he ground out.

Rin's eyes met him with a slight question.

'Stopping myself from stripping you wherever we are'

Rin gasped and laughed all in one breath and then wrapped her arms round his shoulders, hugging him, even to hide from his gaze. The hug only served to remind her how much larger his frame was against hers, and she found herself swung up in the air bridal-style.

'You are sore and tired, let me take you to your room'

Sesshomaru kissed her forehead as he said this, and Rin looked up at him. Was he going to take her to her old room? Were they going to sleep separately still?

He went up the stairs and Rin was almost intoxicated just by his proximity and his scent; his hair swaying like an otherworldly silver ocean around her as he moved.

She saw he was indeed going toward her old room and Rin's heart sank. Surely - not?!

The little woman looked up at his face, but he didn't seem to notice her gaze.

Sesshomaru came to the doorway to Rin's room and stopped. She opened her mouth to ask what on earth he was doing, but there was a thunderous crashing sound as though a plane had descended in to the place; dust and debris surrounded them and Rin squeezed her eyes shut as she clung to her Lord.  
When the shaking, trembling noisome mess had begun to settle, Rin dared to open her eyes again. Her room had disappeared.

In it's place was a pile of rubble and smokey dust.

'Wha - what the?'

Sesshomaru finally met Rin's gaze with affected nonchalant surprise.

'Oh? You still wanted your own bed, my darling? Sorry, maybe I should have first asked you. Ah well. It's too late now'

Rin met his languid gaze with wide eyed shock, turned it slowly to observe the ruin of her old room, then back at her husband again. She then doubled over in his embrace, laughing so hard she was silent. Sesshomaru took his insensible wife to his own room, and sat down on his bed with her in his lap.

She was just beginning to recover from her laughing fit.

'Oh, God help me' Rin wheezed, trying to catch a breath 'my - muscles already hurt' - she curled up against him again with her tears streaming from laughter.

'Well if I knew I could make you laugh half this much I would have started destroying the rooms in my house much sooner'

Rin gasped for air 'oh stop - please!'

Sesshomaru's lip quivered, her bubbling laughter infectious, and the dust on her face even more endearing.

She finally gathered herself a bit, and clutched at her now even more painfully exercised stomach muscles.

'I knew you were impulsive, but I didn't know you'd do _that_ ' Rin wiped at her streaming eyes.

'I didn't want you thinking you could run off and use your own bed again' Sesshomaru replied, delicately picking some fluff from her ruffled hair.

Rin burst out laughing again 'So - instead - ' (laughing) 'of just asking me' (trying to breath) 'you go and destroy almost a fifth of your home; - - my darling' Rin fought to retain her composure 'you're mad!'

'And you're very dirty. What a shame, I will have to take you in to the bathroom' As he said this he had torn off all her clothes.

Rin instinctively covered herself. 'Was this part of the plan?'

Sesshomaru slanted a yellow hooded gaze at her.

'Don't you dare deprive me of the glorious sight of your body my darling'

Rin clutched her arms tighter around herself. 'And if I do?'

Sesshomaru had placed her in his massive jacuzzi style bath, and soon was in with her.

'Then I will do this - '

The Demon grabbed his wife around the waist and pulled her back in to his lap as the water rippled around them.  
As Rin was forced down in to his lap, she cried out in pleasure as his hard cock slid right inside her.

Sesshomaru had her trapped against his body, and his lips were against her neck, kissing in a hot passionate way up to her ear, and she shivered uncontrollably, his tongue licking at her sensitive lobe.  
He did not move his hips against hers but merely made her stay joined to him in his lap as he nibbled her ear and kissed her neck. Her body melted against him, feeling her wetness grow as his erection pulsed inside her. Her breaths came out shaky and broken.

'Now will you let me - ' as he whispered, he took her hands in his, away from covering her breasts, and twined his fingers in hers.

Rin was insanely turned on, despite her soreness. His cock felt like the thickest, most erotic invasion of her body filling her with a sensation all at once of the greatest hardness and of softness. She longed to move against him, but he had her pinned still with his mind numbing caresses across her neck.

He guided her hands backwards toward his hair and placed them there, and Rin buried her fingers in his silver tresses.

His strong pale hands cupped her breasts and she gasped again, moans escaping her lips as his hands moved across her nipples going around in slow circles. He then moved his hands up to her small shoulders and began kneading her neck and shoulder muscles. Rin melted even more, complete jelly in his hands.

'Is this helping?' Sesshomaru asked softly, whispering in her ear.

Rin could only moan in very indulgent accents 'So - good - ' as his fingers moved down to the small of her back, then grasped her hips as he began very slowly and gently thrusting in to her at last.

Rin's head threw back against her husband's chest, her hair tickling his neck and jawline.

She was biting her fingers so she didn't scream out in pleasure.

He bent his head and began kissing her very gently, one hand moving up to make little circles over her left nipple over and over so it grew long and hard, then he pulled and twisted at it softly in motion with his lips movement's against his wife's lips.

Rin felt as though she would faint from the sensual, passionate pleasure he was enveloping her with; even the feel of his whole chest and stomach against her back was erotic.

His hands went back to massaging her, and through his bitten back groans of pleasure, he asked her where she was hurting the most.

Rin was having to stop herself from drooling at the great waves of deep gratification that were washing over her.

'M-my legs'

Sesshomaru paused his hip movements and slowly pulled out of Rin, as she gasped at the pleasurable feeling of the exit.

He put his hands around her waist again, and this time lifted her to sit on the edge of the in-ground bath.

'M-my dear Sesshomaru - please - you don't have to indulge me so much - I will be ok!'  
Rin felt a sense of shame at her glorious immortal husband being so attendant to her every word and need. She had been ruined with so much of his kindness and passion already - she could not let him massage her sore muscles.

Sesshomaru gazed in to her sweet little face with it's pleading brown eyes, like a pretty doe.

With some water over his hand, he raised his fingers and wiped at the dirt that was still on her cheek, then trailed his finger over her lips.

'Indulge?' He drew closer to her, almost in a sort of flash, his voice like a rush of water.

Rin gasped silently as he seemed to snake above her, his hair falling like a curtain around her, curiously dry, and his hooded eyes gazing in to hers, his finger tipping back her head.

'I haven't even begun to fulfill the meaning of such a word'

He hid his face against hers, to the side, and his hand went round her neck.

'I will make sure, you never need to feel ashamed of being loved'

Rin's eyes started with tears. Something in his tone, his closeness, what he had just said, struck a deep chord within her, and he had hit a mark.

She moved slightly away in order to see his face.

His golden gaze was downcast as his hand fell from her neck; she had completely forgotten she was naked.

'Ashamed?' Rin asked, not necessarily her husband, but almost as an introspective question to herself.

Sesshomaru's reptile-yellow eyes flicked up to Rin's face, and saw the inward trouble there.

'You wish for me to fuck you so brutally, then leave you alone?' his voice almost hissed in a gently reprimanding way. 'To expect me to watch your face frown in pain because it was your first time, and do nothing? Don't dare think so lowly of yourself!'

A lump was in her throat. How was this man making her lose her mind with pleasure, then with laughter, then with sorrow, all in the space of 24 hours?

'I am not good - ' she realised what she was about to say, and that it was awfully cliched. It was a pity 'not good enough for you' had been so over used, as this is what she deeply, genuinely felt. But she cut the words off before she finished them and let herself sound petty in the face of his beautiful attention.

'Not good enough?' He finished for her anyway. He saw she was shivering. 'However long it takes for me to heal the wounds of abandonment and the effects of my own stupidity in your heart, Rin, it will be done. You hurting yourself with such thoughts hurts me twice as much and I can hardly bear it'

Rin's eyes spilled over with heavy tears at the sudden anguish in his tone.

'Oh no, no! No, Sesshomaru-sama - you are far too lovely - !' She caught one of his hands in his, hugging it against her face and he fell against her shoulder, resting his head there.

'I am not lovely' his voice sounded dead, devoid of emotion, a very quick change. 'You do not yet quite understand'

The Demon pulled away, and ran his hand down her right thigh, down her calf, to her foot, and raised it slightly up to begin massaging her muscles.

Rin leaned back, her hands behind her to support her, and she winced in pain as his long fingers kneaded right where it hurt, relentlessly working out the knots.  
He drew closer, and began on her thigh muscles. Rin drew a sharp inhale of breath as he hit a muscle on her inner thigh very close to her core that was particularly tender. His fingers went round and round the sore spot, and it was simultaneously turning her on.

'And here?' He sounded gruff, as his fingers began massaging directly around her pussy. It actually did hurt, but in a paradoxically erotic way as well.

'Maybe this will feel better' he growled, and in a split moment Rin felt his warm tongue lapping against her folds, making her shiver with the temperature change and the delicious sensation. He drew her closer with his hands at her butt, and then grasped her breasts in his hands.  
His tongue dipped deeper and deeper and Rin couldn't help but gyrate against his mouth as he moved so hotly.

She heard him raise from the water, and he entered her again, and his body stretched above her as she lay on the tiles, his cock sliding in and out of her pussy.

'If I can convince you to feel worthy of me' - Sesshomaru ground out his words from the ecstasy that filled him being surrounded by her - 'then maybe there is a promise in that, you may begin to convince me of being worthy of Rin'

Rin looked up at him through hooded eyes, her moans increasing as he moved faster.

'I cannot believe you' Rin panted out, spreading her legs and just wanting him to never go out from her again.

Sesshomaru raised her against him as he kept fucking her, holding her head in the nape of his neck. 'Bite in to me' he shuddered.  
Rin wrapped her legs around his hips and her arms around his neck, and passionately kissed his neck as the satisfaction he provided was numbing her mind.

' _Bite'_ he growled, and Rin bit as he thrust harder and faster, and he pressed her head against his neck so she would bite harder, and he cried out as he came inside her.

He held her clutched against him, both shivering, as his cock pulsated inside.

Rin took her teeth from his neck, and dark blood pulsated, gushed from the wound, splattering on his fine snowy hair. Sesshomaru shuddered and fell on the tiles, Rin on top of him, still connected.

'Sessh - my sweet - Sesshomaru - ' Rin flickered her eyes and fingers all over his chest and face, and inspected the wound, watching his dead marble face with intense and sick worry. 'What have I done?' she whispered. Surely her bite had not seriously injured him? She got off his magnificent form and grabbed her torn blouse from the bedroom floor though she was wet, and her husband's cum trailed down her leg, and went back to him, pressing the cloth against the blood.

His eyes flicked open bright as a light turning on.

'Oh thank goodness, you scared me!' Rin gasped, still holding the cloth against his neck.

He pinned her with his gold gaze and his soul-torn tone.

'I need many marks from you, so that when I am away from you, I have scars to remind me you are real, and you have loved me'

Rin looked at his form just below her, his divinely beautiful face, laced with a deep mournful sorrow that seemed at once wistful, faraway and aloof, his silver mane fanned all around him and his sculpted collarbones strong under alabaster flesh, his throat white and manly.

This man, this Demon, was so ridden with love for her, that it would probably take all her new eternal life to comprehend it's depths.


	30. Chapter 30

Waking up in the arms of a Demon God is not what Rin expected it to be like.

Surrounded by sumptuous duvets and cushions covered in black silk; - yes, that seemed appropriate.

But to find herself completely and utterly suffocated and overheating was another thing.

The form of the Demon Sesshomaru lay over Rin like a dead weight, his hair surrounding her like a third blanket to the two already on top of them. She forced her face under his arm and gasped for air. How the heck was she going to move? He always seemed so elegant and gracefully light footed whenever he walked or moved at all, and Rin was amazed at how lithe and athletic a figure could weigh so much. She struggled under him, but it was no use as she was still too sore.

Suddenly hands grabbed her arms, and Sesshomaru was gazing down at her with wide eyed intensity.

'Oh thank God, you're still here' he sighed and lay back on top of her. Rin tried to appear as though it was easy for her to breath, as this was far too adorable.

'You actually slept?' Rin whispered hoarsely.

She watched as his elvishly pointed ears twitched, as though sensing her every tone.

'For the first time in a long time'

To her slight relief, he raised himself up on one elbow next to her.

'I didn't know you could sleep' Rin remarked, quite amazed.

Sesshomaru looked down at her, as though he was thinking something. He watched as she yawned and rubbed her eyes like a cute, sleepy little kitten, her white and brown hair all fluffy.

'Before now I was pre-occupied' he said in a quiet voice.

Rin was still adjusting to being awake in Sesshomaru, the Demon God, her husband's, bed.

She sat up slightly against the cushions, and gasped softly as Sesshomaru lay his head against her breast over her night gown.

She tentatively lay her hand on top of his silver-crowned head.

'I still can't believe it' she said after a moment.

Sesshomaru found himself shivering at the feeling of hearing Rin's little heart beat, and her voice vibrate inside her little chest cavity and come out of her vocal chords. He could hear all her inner workings. It was like a humming music that calmed him, and he hadn't felt calm in a very long time.

'Believe what, little wife?'

Rin's blushed at the term, and her hand had begun absent mindedly stroking his hair.

'That I am here, with you, in your bed; - that you love me, and now I will live as long as you do - I don't even have the fear of being separated from you by death. I used to think you were this unattainable symbol of power and eternity, that I had no right or reason to love you at all. That any emotion I had toward you was delusional and selfish, in a way - it was all just a string of fantasies in my head, nothing more. Yet - you have let me love you, and you have made me feel more cherished in these past 24 hours, than anyone in my entire life'

Sesshomaru was charmed by the rhythmic vibration of her heart beat and voice at his ear, and the words she spoke saddened him.

His striking countenance met her gaze and she blushed, but did not look away, a deep gratefulness almost silently shouting from the windows to her soul.

'I am an empty shell, Rin. You are a spirit of fire in the form of a nymph, and every minute I am scared you will be whisked away'

Rin saw a fear in his eyes and she felt a pang of longing. She suddenly grasped his gorgeous face gently in her hands and looked deep in his eyes, spurning her shyness for a moment, studying past each gold, bronze and yellow ever-changing fleck, past the pin point pupil, to see what might lie behind.

'Will I ever _know_ you? Will I ever be able to tell how it feels to live every age of the earth with no rest? Will I ever feel your depth of emotion, or tell where it comes from; what motivates you? What it must be like to have such raw power always hidden inside you - to be immaterial - I am so scared of not being able to ever help you if you need it, because I can never know what you really are, inside!'

Sesshomaru moved up and loomed over his little wife, his hair surrounding her, his eyes drinking in her gaze.

The Demon lifted his hand and laid it over her heart.

'You _are_ me'

He stroked her cheek with his thumb and bent, to slant his lips against hers and kiss her deeply.

' _You_ have nothing to fear, my Desire'

The God embraced her and she hid her face in the nape of his neck, her hand buried in his hair.

Rin feared much; no matter what he said, even in such moving, passionate tones, she still felt utterly unworthy of being there in his arms, completely inadequate and undeserving of such a creature's love. She had wanted this with all her dreams and soul for so long, but she had reconciled to herself almost as long ago that it would never come to pass. Now here she was, and barely knew how to believe it or process it.

Sesshomaru cradled her head in his hand, holding her against him.

'I can sense the rushing of thoughts through your mind faster than the leaves fall from autumn trees' he murmured above her.

Rin inhaled a little sharply, and knew she shouldn't be so astounded at his intense acuity, especially now they were joined. It would now be nearly impossible to ever keep a secret from him, even her own thoughts. She hoped he could not divine the nature of her many thoughts, as she knew they would hurt him, which is why she would not keep speaking of her inadequacies in his presence. It would be petty and pointless.

'Can you read them also?' She asked, a constant blush painting her cheeks at his proximity, his voice so deep and husky right against her, the feel of his throat moving against her head, and his chest pressed to her cheek.

'I know they are not happy thoughts' he replied.

Rin sighed, the slight stiffness in her body leaving her as she felt almost defeated.

'I hate that you can sense it so well. - ' she tried to think of words to say; 'it must seem so selfish, but the thoughts are hard to push away when they are constant. I am so sorry' her voice was very soft and sweet to his ears, and he knew what she was thinking though he didn't say it.

'You will only make yourself feel worse for feeling guilty about your thoughts. Let them flow, and whenever you wish, speak every one of them to my ears. I have eternity'

Rin shifted her face downwards and against him a little more, the sweet, musky, fresh scent of his skin sending shivers all over her, and he held her even tighter.

'I can't do that. I think negatively far too often; you'll grow bored of me' She utterly hated this conversation; he didn't need to hear the minutiae of her girlish moroseness.

He forced her chin upward to meet his eyes so very close to her.

'There it is; you admitted to your inner contemplation without even wanting to' there was a gleam in his honey bronzed eyes she couldn't quite read. Perhaps it was amusement?

'You feel worthless, like a rag I'll throw aside' he remarked, his finger tips tracing over her eyebrows, moving her fringe, then down her cheek to her jawline; her throat and resting in the small point between her collarbones. Rin's skin had goosebumps all over.

'You are going to keep feeling this way, aren't you?' He whispered, bending his head to her cheek, kissing it so very softly, then her nose, then her forehead.

'I would burn all the earth and the money and power within it, if it could convince you otherwise' his eyes burned in to hers, and Rin could see a vision of a great consuming fire within the golden furnace depths, and she recoiled slightly.

'But that will not even persuade you' he seemed to withdraw, and become cold, like he had doused a great ocean of water over that fire-storm within him.

'It is in my Rin's mind; heart' - each word, he touched her forehead, and then over her heart, 'that these feelings reside, not in the world. And I would not destroy you, in order to destroy this unworthiness you feel within you. But that is what it would take. Until - ' he drew her close again ' - you realise it for yourself'

Rin shuddered at his intoxicating, sensual illusions, voice and fluidity of movement and tone; he was like a snake, then a lion, then almost human in his demeanor.

'Realise what?' Rin whispered in broken accents.

'You will know it when it comes'

Rin knew it had to be cryptic, yet he had been so straight forward, with such strong emotion, instead of pandering with useless affirmations, that she truly felt comforted by his words. She needed to stop over thinking, and enjoy the very moment she was in.

' _Thank_ you' she breathed against his chest 'for being so _kind_ '

Above her head, Sesshomaru's brow creased slightly, a soreness in his throat at the sudden tone of blissful gratefulness in his wife's voice. She was like a field lily, delicate, pale, sweetly scented, and her innocent gratitude toward him seemed to melt the past centuries away.

After a few moments of silence where Rin felt her heart exploding with a deep, consuming love, which she hoped her Demon could tangibly sense as she did, Sesshomaru asked her a question.

'Rin; - Would you come with me to a dinner tonight?'

Rin felt sudden anxiety at the thought, but that was quickly over run with a surge of joy at the thought of joining Sesshomaru to an event; this time, they were deeply in love with each other. It did give her confidence.

'Of course!'

'Thank you' he answered. 'There's only going to be about twenty or so of us there' he added, as though he had sensed her former swiftly passing anxiety.

Rin said without really thinking: 'Kohaku as well?'

Sesshomaru looked down his nose at her, an eyebrow raised, and Rin blushed, finding it an intimidating - but quite sexy - expression.

'You wish him to be?' Sesshomaru's voice was smooth as the honey colour of his eyes, with an underlying hissing quality.

Rin looked hard at his chest, feeling suddenly as though she were a rabbit in a trap. God, her tongue ran away from her brain sometimes!

'O-of course not! H-he is a cowardly snake'

She still felt her husband's body was stiff, and had no idea what else to say to convince him that she heartily disliked Kohaku.

'A good insult, but you sound unsure of it, my dear'

Rin blushed deeper, because of her dislike of his dripping sarcastic tone, but Sesshomaru read it as admittance of truth to his statement.

Rin suddenly found herself propped up against the cushions at the headboard, and the Demon held his body above her, his hands either side of her hips.

'I still remember the many times you came stumbling through this front door holding his hand, as though drunk on happiness, laughing like a little sprite; till you looked up and saw me'  
The Great Spirit's voice truly sounded snake like, as his pupils seemed likewise slitted in his piercing yellow eyes.  
Rin was pinned to the spot, and her heart was racing at his frightening appearance and tone; she'd never heard his voice change so much as in the last 30 hours. She truly was a scared mouse or rabbit, wide eyed, underneath him.

'And you made it clear I was anathema to you' his eyes tore up and down her as though stripping her naked. Rin's hands instinctively covered herself, her legs drawn up so her knees were under her chin, making herself smaller than usual.

'L-Lord Sessh-homaru - do you know - why?' Her voice came out trembling, and the Demon seemed to almost enjoy the sight; his eyes were changing as he smelled her.

His hand ran up her calf and rested on her knee impatiently.

' _Why_?' He hissed, the word whispered suddenly in her ear, causing all her neck and back to shiver and tremble.

'T-the laughter - was masking the p-pain - and when I saw you - it again reminded me - '

His hand was insistently parting her leg, and he ran his hand down her inner thigh, grasping the soft white flesh. Rin moaned out, her arousal filling his mouth and nose.

'Reminded you of what?' he kept staring relentlessly down at her, and his face was coming closer with every word she spoke.

Rin was moaning as he stroked her inner thigh, but she answered him with no small amount of difficulty:

'How much I wanted you, and could not have you - oh, Sessho-maru, Kohaku could go to the deepest hell, along with all the shallow jokes he told me, which he thought made me laugh, if it meant I could in the next second run in to your arms and never see another soul again'

Sesshomaru seemed to growl deep in his chest at this answer to his question; at such a simple answer to the question that plagued him before many nights when Rin had seemed to revel in Kohaku's company; such a straight forward answer, yet so sexy of her to say such words to him, to have her a squirming, delicious bundle right below him.

'You _never_ _liked_ _Kohaku_?' Sesshomaru was truly taken aback, as he had really believed it.

Rin's little laugh again sounded like bells to him, and he gazed at her face. Rin didn't answer with any words; she reached for his face, and pulled him down, kissing him passionately, causing him to groan and tear her night gown off so he could run his hands in a frenzy all over her body.

His hand went straight to her pussy and his long fingers rubbed all along her length, making her cry out with pleasure.

'Every time I saw your faded expression at that door, it _tortured_ me'

He thrust two fingers inside her and she cried out repeatedly.

'You delicate little thing, with such an iron grip on my heart' he groaned as her body responded so delectably to his treatment.

Rin felt such a fire within her at his passionate release of emotion that she yet again pulled his head toward her and crashed her lips to his, then managed to turn him over to his back as she still rode his hand, deeply kissing him. She kissed ardently all over his face, her hands holding him, along his jawline, then she began sucking on his ear, and he moaned, adding another finger inside her, forcing her hips down on his hand with his free one. Rin moaned out load but did not stop sucking and nibbling his pointed ear, as he sucked on the fingers of her free hand.

She moved her mouth down his neck, and peppered kisses all across his collar bone; he shifted slightly upwards so he was reclining against the many cushions, and Rin seemed in a frenzy of trembling passion, she had her small hands grasping his slim hips, kissing alone the slant of his hip bone, and Sesshomaru was growling with beast like passion.

Rin's hand went over his pants and began rubbing his huge hardness underneath the material, making Sesshomaru suddenly grasp her head with trembling self control, before she pulled down the top of his pants just to get to his cock, which she wanted badly in her mouth.

'I've wanted - ' she panted with delirious lustfulness ' - to do this to you, Se- sama - so long - '

She licked the tip of his cock and Sesshomaru hissed in complete ecstasy, which was quickly increased to animalistic snarling as Rin's little pink mouth went over his huge tip and down his shaft, though she could not go the whole way due to his size; her hands worked around his balls, caressing and stroking everything she could hold as she swirled her tongue round and up and down his shaft and tip, quickly, then slowly; Sesshomaru's eyes were deep blood red, and he sat up as she kept going, and found herself moaning with his cock in her mouth as his fingers rubbed between her legs relentlessly.

' _You Succubus'_ he growled as he grabbed her hips, and went on his knees, and he fucked her as Rin's face was buried in pillows, screaming out with the extremes of rapture as he went at her with utterly inhuman speed and bestial hunger.


End file.
